Why You Should Be Confident In The Chiefs (Even If You Hate Them)
With the Chiefs’ preseason coming to a close last night, there are many things to discuss about this team. Many NFL fans (and even Chiefs fans) have no confidence in the Chiefs anymore, even if history says otherwise. Chiefs fans have always remained a confident bunch, but ever since Super Bowl LIX there has been a dark cloud over this team. But this year is a new year, and NFL fans should stop lying to themselves about this team.
Although they didn’t win a single game, there are a lot of good things to take away from the preseason. Harrison Butker kicking a 69 yard field goal is the most preseason thing I’ve heard in my entire life. I anticipate him to return to his usual self in 2026 (missed extra points and all) but this does make me confident that the Chiefs are still good at kicker for the foreseeable future. Other highlights have been the running backs, primarily rookie Emmett Johnson who is already looking like one of the 2026 draft’s biggest steals. Rookie receiver Cyrus Allen also made some impressive plays in his limited playtime. QB Garret Nussmeier was fine, which is exactly what the Chiefs wanted. Nussmeier can be the ideal cheap backup the Chiefs have needed for a long time now. If he ever needs to step in during regular season action, he seems like a competent enough player to not implode the team (sorry Oladokun). This won’t really affect 2026 as much but is a good move for the future of the team.
Still, the preseason rarely matters much for the Chiefs. Nothing about this team is for sure until we see Patrick Mahomes back on the field with his starters surrounding him. However, the 2026 season does not just come down to the health of Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes seems to be as healthy as anyone could have hoped for considering he tore two ligaments just about 8 months ago. 8 months of recovery is not typical for an injury of this magnitude, but for Patrick Mahomes? This is the same man who dislocated his knee, missed two games and won the Super Bowl. This is also the same man who suffered a high ankle sprain in the divisional round of the 2022-23 playoffs and didn’t miss any time at all (he also won the Super Bowl again). Mahomes seems to have Wolverine levels of regeneration, so Chiefs fans should not be worried about the health of Mahomes. Could his injury linger for a few weeks? That is very possible, but luckily the Chiefs don’t have too difficult of a schedule early on (aside from that Week 1 matchup against Denver). The Chiefs have a good offensive line no matter who is playing RT. As long as they get through the Broncos game unscathed Mahomes should have a pretty relaxed first month of play.
If there’s anything we have learned since the 2024 season, it’s that Mahomes should not be forced to carry the offense alone. That’s where the running backs come in. Kenneth Walker III may be the most important addition to any team this year. He has the ability to turn what was a horrendous excuse for a rushing attack into potentially a top 10 rushing squad. That alone may be enough to push the Chiefs to a playoff spot. Also, if Emmett Johnson’s preseason means anything it's that Kenneth Walker may not be the only running back defenses should be afraid of. The question is with the receivers. No one should expect Travis Kelce to improve his game, as this season is more of a “last dance” than him trying to return to dominant form. Still, even when Kelce isn’t as good as his prime, he still is one of the more effective TEs in the league.
There are many things that have been said about Rashee Rice the last year or two. Many of those words are completely deserved, but it seems like many have forgotten that Rice is actually a pretty good receiver. If he can block out the outside noise and focus on what is important rather than getting himself in dumb situations then he could be the guy the Chiefs have been begging the football gods for. The same goes for Xavier Worthy. His issue isn’t him getting in trouble, it’s staying healthy. If Worthy can just go a couple games without tweaking or twisting something then that tandem could hypothetically be dangerous. Of course, most NFL fans don’t think either of these hypotheticals are plausible, and I completely understand why. However, if Rice and Worthy boat disappoint once again, then the Chiefs still have options. The aforementioned rookie Cyrus Allen looks like he could be a future starter and Tyquan Thornton is still on the roster and was arguably the best receiver on the team in 2025 (low bar). And there is always the looming possibility of a reunion with Tyreek Hill, which may be the Chiefs’ code red option.
One more point of optimism I have in the offense lies with the return of Eric Bienemy. He does not let players struggle like Matt Nagy did. Bienemy could be the key to turning the offense back to a powerhouse, especially with the best group of running backs the Chiefs have had in the Mahomes era. Bienemy forces players to be accountable and his hard-nosed style has always brought out the best in not only the supporting cast of players, but Mahomes as well.
As for the defense, the Chiefs underwent many changes on that side of the ball. However, the defensive line has seen a major upgrade in its interior. The edge position is still a question, but hopefully the rookies step up and the improved interior can allow for the edges to have more opportunities. The backfield saw major losses, but the Chiefs have replaced McDuffie and Watson with high-end players. Mansoor Delane was the 6th overall pick for a reason, and Nohl Williams looks primed for a breakout season. I do not think the defense will be as good as years past but if the offense is as good as I think it can be, the defense may not need to be as dominant.
The biggest question I have for the Chiefs this season is not with the team itself, but with the division they are in. Both the Broncos and the Chargers are legitimate playoff teams now. Some may try to tell you they are true Super Bowl contenders, but that is propaganda at its finest. The Broncos feel ripe for regression, especially with Bo Nix dealing with injury issues that seem to be lingering more than Mahomes’ far more serious ligament tears. The Chargers are going to be good, but they will still be first round exits and we all know it. Other teams could be good and give the Chiefs troubles, making it harder to win the division and thus make the playoffs. Not to mention the Raiders, who despite having low expectations, seem to be on the right track as a franchise for the first time since Tobey Maguire became Spider-Man. The Chiefs cannot afford to be swept by any divisional opponent this season, or it may cost them. The pure strength of the AFC West should be the only major concern Chiefs fans should have at the moment. There are certainly questions with the quality of the roster, but there are always going to be questions for every team every year. The Chiefs are always at their best when nobody believes in them. In 2025 they were tired and complacent. That rarely lasts for great players.
So should the Chiefs be favored to win the Super Bowl? No. They might not even deserve to be favored to win the AFC, but in no scenario should anyone expect them to be as bad or worse than last year. The Chiefs may have gone 6-11, but they were 6-7 before Mahomes got hurt. The Chiefs were not one of the worst teams in the league last year, as many people have stated. They were a middling team who lost their best player, thrusting them into a last-minute collapse. Assuming Mahomes would have found a way to beat the lowly Raiders and Titans, the Chiefs would have finished 8-9. Veach learned that Mahomes was truly carrying this team, and in response he made decisions he never would have in previous years (signing a good RB). 2026 is a different year, a different roster, and a different coaching staff. Some may say the dynasty is over and that the Chiefs are going to be a perennially bad team from now on, but an intelligent NFL fan will see the truth. 2025 made them better. They are going to be fine.
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