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Ranking NFL’s most vulnerable division winners for 2025, from sturdy Chiefs to streaky Rams | CBS Sports
8.Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West)
2024 record: 15-2 | Division title streak: 9 seasons
All three of their rivals should theoretically be better: the Denver Broncos have a promising gunslinger in Bo Nix, the Los Angeles Chargers are physical under Jim Harbaugh and the Las Vegas Raiders now have Pete Carroll and Geno Smith running the show. Are any of those clubs ready to unseat a Chiefs team that’s been to five of the last six Super Bowls? Yes, Kansas City was steamrolled in its last big game, but Patrick Mahomes’ weaponry should be healthier and sprier this time around. It’s just hard to bet against a dynasty.
Travis Kelce on the Chiefs earning the ‘America’s Team’ nickname | Chiefs Wire
“Yeah, so I’m kind of out on just the whole America’s Team deal; I don’t give a…about that (talk),” said Kelce, “I want to be in Kansas City. I want to be the Chiefs. That’s all I want to be. I’m gonna be the big bad Chiefs. Come join if you want. But America’s team? The Boys can have that if they want it.”
The Cowboys and Chiefs will headline a Thanksgiving battle this year, while Kansas City will host a Christmas evening game. Kansas City will play seven prime-time games in 2025, the most of any team in the league.
The Kelce brothers showed a clip of a Cowboys fan changing allegiances to the Chiefs with an extensive back tattoo cover-up of the former’s logo.
“We’ll treat you right over in Chiefs Kingdom,” said Kelce. “We’ll make it so you will never have to cover up that Chiefs logo, dude.”
Nine NFL players, headlined by C.J. Stroud, looking to rebound from sophomore slump for 2025 season | CBS Sports
Wanya Morris
During his rookie season, Morris did an admirable job filling in for the injured Donovan Smith at left tackle. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t a disaster. Things were different in Year 2. After Kingsley Suamataia got the first crack at the starting job on Patrick Mahomes’ blind side, Morris stepped in and played quite poorly. So poorly, that Patrick Mahomes got frustrated enough to actually show his displeasure on the field. The Chiefs signed D.J. Humphries off the street and, when he got injured, they kicked All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the outside rather than turn back to Suamataia or Morris, who allowed 35 pressures and 5 sacks. He probably won’t get a chance to redeem himself in 2025 after the team signed Jaylon Moore and drafted Josh Simmons.
Every NFL team’s biggest question after the 2025 NFL Draft | PFF
Kansas City Chiefs: Can the left side of the OL stabilize?
Even after wilting in Super Bowl 59, the Chiefs should be formidable yet again, thanks to bringing back many key contributors and landing additions on both sides of the ball. The overarching question regarding this year’s team will be the left side of the offensive line, which was a recurring problem in 2024.
After four players suited up at left tackle in 2024, general manager Brett Veach invested $30 million in Jaylon Moore, who performed admirably in 2024 (74.9 PFF pass-blocking grade) but has played only 831 career snaps. Left guard will also receive a watchful eye as second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia (30.5 PFF pass-blocking grade) attempts to transition spots and replace the spectacular Joe Thuney.
First-round pick Josh Simmons (82.0 PFF pass-blocking grade) may also factor in, depending on his recovery from knee surgery. The bottom line is that if the Chiefs want to reclaim their throne, their left tackle and guard play must be more cohesive.
Trey Smith is Set For Big Season in Contract Year | SI
At 6-6, 322 pounds, Smith is a man amongst boys. He has remained consistent in his physical trench play with incredibly powerful hands and movement skills at his size. For all intents and purposes, he has become a concrete wall on the Chiefs’ right side.
Smith was placed with the franchise tag this offseason, earning him an average annual salary of $23.4 million, easily the highest-paid player at his position for the season. Yet, he has not received a new contract from Kansas City general manager Brett Veach & Co., leading to him potentially playing on the franchise tag this season, unless he is paid by July.
This sets up Smith for another big pay day and an even bigger season, one that could earn him All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors, potentially another Lombardi Trophy, and even the new Protector of the Year given to the best offensive lineman starting this season. Smith is an absolute monster in the trenches and deserves to be paid as such. There is a great argument that he’s currently the best guard on the planet ahead of Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom and Philadelphia’s Landon Dickerson.
Predicting the Chiefs’ 2025 Breakout Player of the Year | SI
Before the draft, Cummings noted that Simmons’ talent was undeniable and worth a first round draft pick, even with the injury he suffered his final season at Ohio State. The Chiefs believe they got a steal in the draft. If he plays to his potential, their assessment on Simmons would likely be true.
“While his injury opened the door for other prospects to be picked before him, Simmons still should be a first-round pick and could be a top-20 selection. His physical profile and athleticism are ideal in a franchise’s cornerstone left tackle, and Simmons also has RT versatility,” Cummings said.
“He does a tremendous job of mirroring pass rushers, using his fluidity to match and stay square. He also flashes high-end driving power as a moving blocker in space, and he can knock rushers off-kilter with disorienting punches. Provided that he makes it back to full health, Simmons can start immediately and grow into an impact player.”
Around the NFL
State of the Patriots: How close are the Patriots to returning to winning? | ESPN
Kraft, who purchased the franchise in 1994, said bluntly: “The last two years have been really, really difficult; the worst two years of our ownership.”
As a result, the Patriots have undergone a thorough transformation over the past five months with coaches, executives and players. Their hope is that the changes have positioned them to close the gap on the Buffalo Bills, who have won the last five AFC East titles, while also accelerating their path back to Super Bowl contender. ESPN puts the Patriots’ projected win total at 8.5. Last year at this time, the Patriots had a projected win total of 4.5.
Kraft, who turns 84 in June, moved with urgency in early January by firing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo in the hours following the Patriots’ regular-season finale against the Bills.
“This whole situation is on me,” Kraft, patting his chest, said the day after moving on from Mayo. He called himself out for putting Mayo in an “untenable situation” by rushing him into the job as Bill Belichick’s successor despite having just five years’ experience as an assistant coach.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs’ defensive projections for the 2025 season
Sacks
There’s no sugarcoating it: the Chiefs’ defense took a step back in this category. After registering 57 sacks in 2023, they managed just 41 in 2024, a noticeable drop-off in production when it came to getting after opposing quarterbacks 39 times in 2024. It was the team’s lowest sack total since 2021, when they only registered 31 sacks.
There were a lot of factors that contributed to the Chiefs’ sack total last season. One major issue was the injury to Charles Omenihu, which kept him out for most of the year. Another was the lack of an interior pass rusher to line up next to Chris Jones, allowing teams to double-team him with minimal consequence.
The team addressed this issue in the draft, selecting both Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte.
In this model, I’m adding +15 sacks to account for the addition of the rookies and Omenihu’s return to health. However, I’m also subtracting -6 sacks due to the loss of Turk Wharton.
I’m also factoring in that George Karlaftis and Mike Danna are both entering contract years, which adds motivation to produce.
Projected sacks: 49
My take: Over
The Chiefs topped 50 sacks in both 2022 and 2023. With this infusion of young talent and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s love of creative blitzes, I see Kansas City returning to the half-century mark again.
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