The Kansas City Chiefs, who won the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons, appear eager to begin game planning for their next opponent.
History.
“It’s a whole different feeling,” All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce said after winning his second ring. “I wanted this one more than any other game in my life.
“The biggest difference is that it cements your greatness. You only get lucky once, and this wasn’t it. We wanted it, so we got it.
“You can call it a dynasty or anything else you want. All I know is that we’ll be back next year. … I can tell you right now that we’re trying to get another one.”
In today’s instant gratification culture, the term “dynasty” is thrown around a bit loosely, but in K.C.’s case, there’s a legitimate argument that this team is on the verge of becoming a dynasty, if not already there.
But Kelce is probably correct: the 1960s Green Bay Packers, 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, 1980s San Francisco 49ers, 1990s Dallas Cowboys, and 21st-century New England Patriots all had one thing in common: they all won at least three championships during their respective runs.
And after what Tom Brady and the Patriots accomplished during the parity-infused, salary-cap era, the bar is unlikely to be lowered for these Chiefs, even if they face losing both of their starting offensive tackles, Orlando Brown Jr. and Andew Wylie, to free agency.
Brown, who protects Super Bowl and league MVP Patrick Mahomes’ blind side and is on the franchise tag for the 2022 season, sounded more concerned with legacy than money on Sunday night.
“Business is business, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be back here next year,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports “But, when it comes to establishing a dynasty, it’s the front office, these coaches, and the players that we’re committed to – everyone’s bought in, and everyone understands the long-term plan. And with quarterback 15 (Mahomes), anything is truly possible.”
Mahomes felt there were far more critics than usual dissecting a team that has now won seven consecutive AFC West titles and been to the AFC championship game each of the last five seasons, hosting it each time.
“As long as Andy Reid is coaching, we’re going to have success as an offence,” Mahomes said, “and I have faith in the leaders we have on defence.”
He was also motivated by his two losses in the AFC title game and the humiliating loss to Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
It made winning Super Bowl 57 even sweeter for Mahomes than winning Super Bowl 54.
“You’ve dealt with failure in this one,” he said “You understand how difficult it is to return to this stage and win this game.
“It’s a brand new team with a lot of rookies playing – that stepped up…. For those guys to step up and make those plays in that second half just speaks to the hard work they put in every single day, and fortunately, all those guys are young, so we’ll have a lot of those guys back next year.”
And, as tough as the AFC looked at the start of the 2022 season, teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and others are now facing serious questions.
That dynastic door could still swing wide open.
“We’re going back-to-back after our first Super Bowl,” All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “But we’ve been extremely fortunate, with a core of Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Frank Clark.
“This place has a unique core.”
Jones, a seven-year veteran coming off his best season, also referred to the 2022 Chiefs as the “most selfless group I’ve ever been a part of.”
“This team has a lot of fighting spirit,” he added “I am confident that we will be able to compete for another one. This is a unique group. How do we keep this core together?
