How The Chiefs Can Become A True Dynasty
What would it take for the Chiefs to be considered a true NFL dynasty? Kansas City is closer than you might think but the work isn’t quite done yet.
Dynasty is a word that is thrown around a lot in sports and it is the ultimate goal of any franchise, the Kansas City Chiefs included. So what will it take for the team to gain dynasty status?
The only real definition of a dynasty in sports is a team that dominates their sport or league for an extended length of time. That is a pretty ambiguous definition. What is considered dominant and how long does the length of time need to be? To me, a dynasty is a team that wins multiple championships and is consistently considered the best team in the sport for at least four seasons.
Under my definition, the ’90s New York Yankees were a dynasty. The New England Patriots of course were a dynasty. The Indianapolis Colts were not a dynasty. They were dominant for over a decade, but they only won one ring. The Chiefs have a start of a possible dynasty, but they still have some work to do.
The Chiefs Must Win Another Title To Truly Become A Dynasty
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(Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement, USA Today Sports)
The first step for Kansas City to go from a great team to a dynasty is to win another Super Bowl. Right now the Chiefs are very close to dynasty level. They have been to two Super Bowls and hosted four straight AFC Championship games. The Chiefs have been dominating since the start of the 2018 season. If they win the Super Bowl this season, they will be a dynasty.
If they do not win the Super Bowl that doesn’t mean the window to become a dynasty is closed. No matter what the media decides after 2022, the chance for a dynasty will not end this season regardless of how the season ends up.
If the Chiefs have another great season, the window is still wide open. If they make it to the Super Bowl and lose, or even just make it to the playoffs and lose in the divisional round they’ll be fine. Now if they miss the playoffs, the job gets harder but again it would not be dead. For example, the Patriots went 10 years between Super Bowl victories but nobody ever said their dynasty ended. It didn’t end because despite not winning more Super Bowls, they were still dominant every season.
Chiefs’ Dominance Around The League Speaks To A Dynasty Forming
So yes the Chiefs could have a down season, and still maintain their dynasty road by winning a Super Bowl later. The key is that the Chiefs need to win more rings. They don’t need to win five or six rings like the Patriots, but they need to win more than one. To me, they need to win a ring in the next three years while maintaining their dominance in the league during the seasons. They need to keep winning 12 games a season, winning their division, and winning playoff games. If they keep doing that every season their dynasty window is open.
I do not know if the Chiefs will ever make it to the Patriots’ level of a dynasty. Just as I don’t think Mahomes will ever catch Brady’s Super Bowl ring totals. It’s possible, but the probability of it is low. I would still happily bet that the Chiefs will become a true dynasty. They will win 12 games a year and win the AFC West for at least the next five years. They will win at least one Super Bowl in the next three years. So by anyone’s definition, I believe the Chiefs will be seen as a dynasty.
Once they clinch that dynasty tag, whether it is this season or in the next three seasons, the next step is the biggest. How many rings will the Chiefs win and how high up the dynasty leaderboard will the Chiefs be at when Mahomes retires and this era of Chiefs football is over? How high up that leaderboard do you think the Chiefs will finish?