For the first time since 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs will not make the NFL playoffs. They were officially eliminated with Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Following the game, former NFL star and current Thursday Night Football analyst Richard Sherman paid tribute to the Chiefs' run.
"Chiefs eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons," Sherman said on X (formerly Twitter). "That’s a incredible run. To go to the SB 5 of the last 6 seasons is incredible. So many teams struggle to find motivation and consistency after a SB win or loss and for them to sustain the way they have for this long should be respected."
Sherman also sent his best wishes to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was injured during the game, adding, "Hope Mahomes is ok after a scary injury near the end of the game."
NFL runs tend to be short-lived. Sherman's Seattle Seahawks were a great example of that, as they looked like a budding dynasty after winning Super Bowl XLVIII following the 2013 season. But a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss the following year led to a decline, as Seattle has yet to return to a Super Bowl or even an NFC Championship Game.
Kansas City's run has few parallels in NFL history. The New England Patriots, of course, had an extended run with Tom Brady, winning six Super Bowls from 2001-2018. From 2011-2018, the Patriots were in the AFC Championship Game every year, winning three Super Bowls and two more AFC Championships.
The Chiefs made the postseason every year from 2015-2024 and the AFC Championship Game every year from 2018 to 2024. Additionally, Kansas City hasn't had a losing season since 2012, the year before Andy Reid became head coach. At 6-8, that streak is very much in jeopardy.
Of course, Kansas City's run might not be completely over. But missing the playoffs, with Mahomes' injury and an aging core, it is at least on hiatus for now.