The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 season ended the way these things often do: slowly — and then all at once.
Right from the start, warning signs were visible. The defensive flaws that surfaced in the opener
never truly went away. The loss in Jacksonville previewed the Murphy’s Law tone that would define the year. Injuries mounted. And eventually, the dam just broke.
A team long defined by its ability to solve problems simply ran out of answers. What followed was one of the most abrupt and jarring endings to an NFL season in recent memory. A team led by head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes will spend January watching from home.
How did it reach this point? Who bears responsibility? And what comes next?
These questions are difficult. But they are also unavoidable — and worth confronting.
Let’s start with the simplest truth: the players didn’t play well enough.
Mahomes’ deep ball lacked consistency — and his turnovers were devastating. The running game never stabilized. Injuries wrecked the offensive line. The wide receivers failed to meet expectations. The pass rush disappeared. The young safeties developed too slowly. And the cornerback situation unraveled as Kristian Fulton slid down the depth chart.
But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln… how was the play?
Everyone had a hand in this collapse; there isn’t a single explanation for how things went so wrong.
That brings us to coaching.
I’m not a film expert, but you don’t need that skill to see that the Kansas City offense needs a tune-up. But assuming that won’t happen during the coming offseason is probably a mistake.
Reid may be stubborn, but he isn’t stupid.
I’m not making that up. That’s what his history shows us. His offense has required meaningful adjustment every three to five years.
Early in his Kansas City tenure, Reid brought in Chris Ault to modernize the unit. Later, Brad Childress oversaw “special projects.” Beginning in 2017, Mike Kafka added his own wrinkles. After defenses caught up in 2021, Reid pivoted again in 2022.
And here we are again.
Many of the changes will require better personnel. That requires some faith in Brett Veach. And yes… that faith has been tested.
There’s no sugarcoating it: Veach had a poor offseason. The biggest free-agent additions were Kristian Fulton and Jaylon Moore. Fulton has played just 29 snaps. Moore ranks 61st out of 71 qualifying tackles in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grades. Calling those signings disappointing is generous.
The issues extended beyond those moves. The running back plan failed. In hindsight, bringing back all the wide receivers looks misguided. Re-signing a right guard and a run-stuffing linebacker to big extensions may not have been the right call. And despite heavy investment at defensive end, George Karlaftis is the only one who is producing consistently.
The misses are hard to ignore.
That’s life for an NFL general manager. Misses pile up just as quickly as hits. Not long ago, the league wondered whether the Seattle Seahawks’ GM John Schneider had lost his edge. The Los Angeles Rams may have stumbled through several drafts from 2018 to 2021 — but look at them now. Brandon Beane won Executive of the Year in 2020 — but since then, some of his decisions have driven the Buffalo Bills’ fans crazy.
Football is fickle. At its best, it’s rarely as good as it looks — and at its worst, it’s usually not as bad as it seems. For Veach, 2025 was bad. But still… he’s earned the chance to see this through.
The Chiefs have now lived through two eras under Mahomes. The first ended when wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins. The second ended on Sunday, when Kansas City was eliminated from contention for what would have been a fourth straight Super Bowl.
As the third era begins, we have to wonder: how will we look back on it?
That’s what we’re here to find out.
