Despite Mahomes modest denial, Chiefs qualify as NFL’s latest dynasty

Patrick Mahomes did not want to talk about the “D” word when it came time to accept his hardware after leading the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

The victory was Kansas City’s second Super Bowl triumph in the past four years, and it was their third Super Bowl appearance in that same time frame. They have also played in five consecutive AFC Championship games.

As a result, the question was asked if the Chiefs are the latest NFL dynasty. Mahomes may have been playing the modesty card when he said that he and his teammates were not a dynasty yet, but by modern standards, that’s just what they are.

The Chiefs have won multiple Super Bowls, and that makes them a team worthy of a revered status, and three Super Bowl appearances in a four-year span cannot be overlooked.

The fact that they have the best quarterback in the league has helped them secure a place in the NFL pantheon.

Do they have the same dynastic qualifications that the Green Bay Packers had under Vince Lombardi with Bart Starr at quarterback in the 1960s? No, because that team won five NFL titles and two Super Bowls.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s with one of the greatest defensive teams in NFL history and a no-nonsense coach in Chuck Noll. 

The San Francisco 49ers won 4 Super Bowls in the 1980s with Joe Montana at quarterback and one more in the ‘90’s with Steve Young under center. Bill Walsh coached the Niners to three of those Super Bowl titles, while George Seifert was the head coach for two of those championships.

The New England Patriots won six Super Bowl titles between 2001 and 2018 with the combination of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick leading the way.

So, the Chiefs are not yet up to those standards, but Mahomes and Andy Reid seem to be as formidable a quarterback-coach combination as nearly any of those longer dynasties.

Mahomes is simply indomitable, as he demonstrated throughout the postseason while playing despite a high ankle sprain. That injury was reaggravated late in the second quarter against the Eagles, and it appeared for a moment that the Chiefs were in deep trouble because they might have to play without their shining star.

But that was never a possibility for Mahomes, who remains hungry to win and was not going to sit on the sidelines because of pain and movement limitations. Quarterbacks of dynasty teams do not sit out championship games. If a bone hasn’t broken through the skin, Mahomes will always do what he has to in order to stay on the field.

Mahomes knows he has a team around him that always provides maximum effort and a coach who is always one step ahead of the competition. The Eagles had the best pass rush of any team in the NFL, yet Mahomes was not sacked once. The opportunistic Eagles secondary could not slow down the Chiefs passing attack either.

Receivers broke wide open on all three of Mahomes’ touchdown passes. That is due in large part to the advanced offensive game plan provide by Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Mahomes may not want to call his team a dynasty, but blustery tight end Travis Kelce had no such hesitation.

"Biggest difference is it solidifies your greatness,” Kelce said. “You can get lucky once, but this wasn't beginner's luck. We wanted it, we took it.

“You can call it a dynasty – you can call it whatever you want. All I know is we’re coming back next year. We're trying to get another one, I can tell you that right now."

The Chiefs have the pieces in place, and it would be foolish to say they could not get a third title.