The Kansas City Chiefs entered their Week 17 matchup against the Denver Broncos with nothing tangible at stake; there was no path to the postseason and no realistic way to climb the standings.
Yet on a cool Christmas night on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City played like a team that still believed the game mattered.
Head coach Andy Reid has never allowed circumstances to dictate his standards — and Thursday night was no exception. The game may have ended as a 20–13 loss, a Kansas City roster
heavy on backups and young players stayed competitive until the final snap, pushing to deliver one more home win.
And Reid insists that this attitude starts at the top.
“All in all, we want to win the football game,” Reid told reporters after the game. “No. 1, you want to win the football game — and I really don’t care who’s in. That’s the primary goal. We came up short — but again, giving good effort there in doing that.”
That mindset carried through the locker room all week. Even as the team was a heavy underdog against a Denver team that was still chasing the AFC’s top seed, the Chiefs played with consistent energy, keeping the game within one score late into the fourth quarter.
For defensive tackle Chris Jones, that effort mattered more than the final score. Jones finished with two tackles, four quarterback hits and his fifth sack of the season, continuing to play with urgency regardless of circumstance.
“This game meant something to us,” he said. “I mean, we’re out there playing. Still another opportunity to play the game we love. You know, it’s unfortunate that we aren’t fighting for playoff positioning right now — but we’ll be back. This year taught us a lot of valuable lessons as a team. We’re going to continue to build off of that.”
While the loss offered no tangible reward beyond draft positioning, the night still carried emotional weight — particularly for tight end Travis Kelce. With speculation swirling about his future, Thursday marked what could have been his final home game at Arrowhead Stadium.
“You only get a few of those where you just get to stand there and appreciate 60-70,000 Chiefs fans screaming for you,” Kelce noted. “I always embrace that moment. It’s fun. Hopefully I got everybody fired up for it.”
Whether or not it proves to be his final game at Arrowhead, Kelce played like someone fully present. Against one of the league’s top defenses, he led Kansas City with five catches for 36 yards, including two receptions that helped push the offense into scoring range as the clock wound down.
As for his future with the team, Kelce isn’t ready to say. But he’s still ready to joke about it.
“The only time it ever crossed my mind,” he said of his potential retirement, “was [when] I was driving in the other day and I saw how much the Powerball was. I was like, ‘Man, if I could just win that, I wouldn’t have to work another day in my life.’
“Honestly, I’ve just been focused on trying to win football games. I’ll let that be a decision that I make with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization — when the time comes.”
In a season defined by narrow losses and missed opportunities, Christmas night offered no redemption. But it reminded us that Kansas City is still playing to win. They’re still holding each other accountable — and still competing for one another.
“We’re a team no matter what this record is,” Kelce said. “We’re out here fighting for each other. You’re going to wear the Chiefs Arrowhead on your helmet — and come out here in a red jersey in front of this crowd — you’re going to give it your all.”
