Is this the end of an era for the Chiefs?

The most dominant run in the NFL over the past decade - the Kansas City Chiefs’ stranglehold on the AFC West - has officially come to an end. After nine straight seasons finishing atop the division, the Missouri powerhouse won’t repeat in 2025, a year that’s been nothing short of disastrous. It started with a Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in February and spiraled downward in the second half of the year. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era - dating back to 2018 when the quarterback seized the starting job - the Chiefs enter December with more losses (seven) than wins (six). Their latest stumble came Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, falling 20-10 to the Houston Texans. Now, missing the playoffs isn’t just possible - it’s a very real scenario.

The question is echoing across the American sports landscape: Is this the end of the NFL’s most dominant dynasty of the last decade? Since Mahomes took the reins in 2018 - the same year he won MVP - the Chiefs have been synonymous with success: three Lombardi Trophies (2019, 2022, 2023), two additional Super Bowl appearances (2020, 2024), seven straight division titles, and never fewer than 11 wins in a regular season. That streak is over. With four games left - three against AFC West rivals - the Chiefs are chasing a Denver Broncos team sitting at 11-2 and a Los Angeles Chargers squad at 8-4. Kansas City looks worn down, maybe even consumed by its own greatness.

Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Bills, Broncos, Cowboys, and Texans - seven teams have exposed a Chiefs squad that looks shockingly vulnerable. They’re on the brink of their first losing season since 2012 (2-14), back when Mahomes was still in college and head coach Andy Reid hadn’t yet arrived. Missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 is firmly on the table. Advanced metrics give Kansas City just a 15% chance to reach the postseason. They’d need to win out - Chargers, Titans, Broncos, Raiders - and hope rivals collapse. It’s a grim picture in Missouri, where nothing like this has been seen in the Mahomes era.

So what’s wrong with the Chiefs?

Ironically, Mahomes might be the least to blame for this collapse. Yes, his outing against Houston was rough - 14 completions on 33 attempts with three picks - but that feels like a symptom of a broken system. He’s still putting up strong numbers: 3,398 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions. At this point last year, he had 3,184 yards, 20 TDs, and 11 picks - but the team was 12-1. The real issue? A lack of reliable targets. Rashee Rice returned from suspension, but Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown have been non-factors. Travis Kelce, now 36, looks like he’s nearing the end. The future Hall of Famer even considered retirement after last year’s Super Bowl. Still, he leads the team in receiving yards (727) and touchdown catches (five).

The ground game? Virtually nonexistent. Kareem Hunt tops the rushing chart with 545 yards but averages just 3.6 per carry. Isaiah Pacheco, expected to anchor the backfield, has battled injuries and averages only 37.5 rushing yards per game. The offensive line is a mess - neither opening lanes nor protecting Mahomes, who has the shortest pocket time in the league (2.2 seconds) and ranks seventh in sacks taken (29). The defense, seventh in points allowed, is doing its best, but even Steve Spagnuolo’s schemes can’t mask the offensive shortcomings.

The real killer? Close games. Six of Kansas City’s seven losses - every one except Houston - have been by one score. Meanwhile, five of their six wins have been by multiple possessions. They’re choking in crunch time like never before. Reid, at the helm since 2013, looks out of answers. Concern over the NFL’s modern dynasty - three straight Super Bowl appearances - is at an all-time high. Is this the end of the Chiefs’ era?

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