The Kansas City Chiefs have played more games than any other NFL franchise in the last seven years. They're used to battling back to start the next season after a Super Bowl appearance. But after how gut-wrenching last year's Super Bowl result was against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs are looking to climb back up the mountain.
If recent NFL history has taught us anything, it's that the Super Bowl loser often feels a greater hangover than the winner. The Chiefs will be looking to buck that trend in a major way in 2025. Overall, Kansas City just missed making it back to the Super Bowl after losing in it for the first time with Patrick Mahomes. They blew a halftime lead to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game following the 2021 regular season.
So how have recent Super Bowl losers fared the following season? Let’s take a look at the last handful of years, starting with the season the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV.
2019 Rams
After putting just three points on the board in Super Bowl LIII and losing to the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams had a clunky season in 2019. L.A. did finish with a winning record, but not much over .500, ending the year at 9-7. That was only good enough for third place in the NFC West that year, and the Rams failed to make the playoffs. Los Angeles had a three-game losing streak in the first half of that season. Plus, the Rams would finish just 4-4 in their final eight games after the bye week.
2020 49ers
After losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, the San Francisco 49ers cratered in 2020. That season was different and challenging for many teams, for obvious reasons. Yet, San Francisco finished last in the NFC West and ended the year just 6-10. Injuries were a main factor in the 49ers' struggles in 2020. Nick Bosa, Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Richard Sherman, and Deebo Samuel would all miss significant chunks of the schedule.
2021 Chiefs
The Chiefs had a very odd year in 2021 after losing Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kansas City's offense was a turnover machine early that year. In addition, the defense could not keep teams from scoring much early on. K.C. was a measly 3-4 after a blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans.
But after that defeat, the Chiefs rattled off eight straight victories. The defense found their groove, while Mahomes and his offense found ways to test defenses without placing as much stress on themselves. The playoffs saw Kansas City get home wins over Pittsburgh and Buffalo, which was the '13 seconds game'. However, the aforementioned collapse against Cincinnati in the second half of the AFC Championship Game is still mind boggling to this day.
2022 Bengals
In the last six years, the 2022 Bengals are the only other team than the 2021 Chiefs to play in a conference championship the year after losing the Super Bowl. Cincinnati had yet another slow start in September, beginning the season at 0-2. The Bengals would win 12 of the last 14 games that were completed, though. One highly anticipated matchup with the Buffalo Bills was ruled a no contest, however, due to the unfortunate Damar Hamlin situation on Monday Night Football.
Cincinnati would then defeat Baltimore and Buffalo for a second straight AFC title game matchup against Kansas City. Of course, the Chiefs won this time around, as Harrison Butker drilled a game-winning field goal after a late penalty when the Bengals pushed Mahomes near the sideline.
2023 Eagles
The 2023 Eagles rode a literal roller coaster during their season. It was a magical start for Philadelphia. At one point, they were 10-1 following a loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. Yet, the Eagles crashed and burned on the descent of that 2023 roller coaster. The defense grew into sliced cheese. Offensive play calling came under heavy scrutiny. After that 10-1 start, the Eagles finished at 11-6. It was a painful finish in the Wild Card round with the Buccaneers kicking Philadelphia's teeth in from the jump.
2024 49ers
Finally, the 2024 49ers suffered a season of nightmares last year. After losing Super Bowl LVIII to the Chiefs, San Francisco was facing pressure before the regular season even started. Christian McCaffrey suffered from an oddly described lower-body injury. Brandon Aiyuk's holdout, and eventual extension, was all over the headlines. Trent Williams would also miss time last year, easily their best offensive lineman on an otherwise shaky unit.
San Francisco was up and down in their first nine games, going 5-4 and achieving consecutive wins just once in that span. After that 5-4 start, the 49ers finished just 1-7 in their last eight games. That 6-11 result was able to give the 49ers yet another last-place finish in the NFC West after losing a Super Bowl the prior year. Injuries persisted. But also, that was one of the most uninspiring performances by a top defense for a full year in quite some time.
Points of emphasis for 2025 Chiefs
Making the playoffs has been challenging for prior Super Bowl losers. Making it all the way back to the conference championship is even more rare in recent NFL history. But for Kansas City, there are going to be a few ways where they can maintain their level of success. A number of items, like explosive offensive plays, blocking success, and pass rush results from the defensive line, can keep Kansas City at the top of the conference.
The Chiefs will be tasked with battling in one of the hottest-contested divisions in 2025. Both the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers have received some national hype this offseason. But even when discussing the Las Vegas Raiders, no one truly knows how they will come out this upcoming season. Does Geno Smith still have enough left in the tank? Can Pete Carroll still rally a team? Questions abound in the West.
Kansas City built for this moment as well as anyone
Kansas City does not have to have a perfect season or even the number one seed to get back to the AFC Championship Game. Mahomes has already been able to win a conference championship on the road, just two years ago. And as bad as the Chiefs were in last year's Super Bowl, their top conference rivals have failed to do the little things to get that Super Bowl chance. Baltimore has had their share of shaky offensive performances in the playoffs, while Buffalo has often been let down by their defense recently in the postseason when the stakes are highest.
The Chiefs know they are typically going to be getting everyone's best shot, but Andy Reid will have some new adjustments and wrinkles in store for 2025. The shift in mindset after losing can create real momentum for K.C. as they look to avoid what has happened to so many recent Super Bowl losers. Simply put, no one should be better suited for that challenge than this organization.