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Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs
The 2025 season was one to forget for the Kansas City Chiefs, but not very many people believe they’ll stay down for long.
The Chiefs have been the most dominant team of the last decade, appearing in seven AFC Championship games (winning six) and five Super Bowls (winning three). Their .718 regular season winning percentage is also the highest among all NFL teams during that span.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes at the center of multiple key 2026 predictions
Mahomes is coming off the most trying season of his nine-year professional career. He posted a career low in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Some of that can be attributed to him missing the final three games with a torn ACL, but other factors to blame include lack of a rushing attack and an offensive system that became stale.
Despite that, Mahomes and the Chiefs’ recent track record give them the benefit of the doubt. The NFL experts from ESPN recently shared their top predictions for the 2026 season, and Mahomes was the centerpiece of each one involving the Chiefs. Dan Graziano predicted that Kansas City will get back to the top of the mountain.
“Chiefs over Packers (in Super Bowl LXI) . One down season and a torn ACL isn’t enough to scare me off quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. Mahomes recovers, along with the Kansas City offense, and the Chiefs claim their third Super Bowl title in five seasons.”
Jason Reid also believes the Chiefs will return to Super Bowl glory.
“Chiefs over Rams. Anyone who knows Mahomes understands that he’ll push himself to return in top form. With him entering his age-31 season, team CEO Clark Hunt, coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach believe that the Chiefs’ championship window remains wide open. They’ll do their part to help Mahomes lead the Chiefs to their fourth Super Bowl championship since 2019.”
While sharing who they believe will win the 2026 MVP, Aaron Schatz explained why his pick is Mahomes.
“I still think Mahomes is the best player in the game and I’m comfortable picking him to win the MVP every year. His odds are as good as anyone, assuming he either returns in Week 1 from his knee injury or doesn’t miss much time.”
Chiefs can avoid a rebuild and return to powerhouse status in 2026
Kansas City has plenty of work to do with its roster in order to get Mahomes another MVP and win a Super Bowl. However, it’s not out of the question that it can be accomplished in one offseason. You don’t need to look any further back than the 2022 season to believe that.
A lot of things will need to fall into place for that to happen. The first thing is to create some spending money for free agency, as the Chiefs currently sit approximately $58 million over the salary cap. Then, they’ll have to balance adding impact free agents while also being smart and not compromising their cap situation for the future.
Lastly, and arguably most important, is hitting a home run in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs did just that in 2022, and it was the most important factor of them becoming a dynasty. Kansas City will have some in-house decisions to make on their pending free agents, and will need to address positions of need such as running back, pass rusher, wide receiver, and defensive back.
Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch
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