Early years in Dallas

For the Texans' inaugural season, team owner Lamar Hunt pursued both legendary University of Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson and New York Giants defensive assistant Tom Landry to lead his Texans franchise. Wilkinson opted to stay at Oklahoma, while Landry was destined to coach the NFL's franchise in Dallas, to be called the Cowboys. In mid-December 1959 Hunt settled on a relatively unknown assistant coach from the University of Miami, Hank Stram. "One of the biggest reasons I hired Hank was that he really wanted the job", Hunt explained. "It turned out to be a very lucky selection on my part."^[1]

The Texans were very fortunate to have Don Klosterman as their head talent man. Klosterman had a penchant for luring star talent away from the NFL, and for finding talent otherwise undiscovered.

Reserved seats at the Cotton Bowl cost USD $4, general admission $2 and high school students paid 90¢ (90 cents) that initial season. Don Rossi served as the team's General Manager until November when he was succeeded by Jack Steadman. The team was headquartered in the Mercantile National Bank Building. The AFL was also headquartered in Dallas.^[2]

The Texans conducted their inaugural training camp at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico. The club embarked on a whirlwind pre-season barnstorming tour that featured road games in Oakland, Tulsa, Boston, Abilene and Little Rock. An announced crowd of 51,000 at the Cotton Bowl witnessed a 24–3 victory against Houston on September 2 as the club concluded a perfect 6–0 preseason record.^[2]

In both teams' inaugural 1960 seasons, the Dallas Texans and Dallas Cowboys competed fiercely for the attention of local football fans. For example, according to the book Ten-Gallon War, the Texans offered discounted tickets at department stores and airline offices, free tickets for fill-ups at certain service stations, and even had free tickets "stuffed inside helium-filled balloons set loose over the city." They held a promotion where fans in barber's capes got discounted tickets (under the theory that local barbers were some of the most trusted people in the city) and gave free admission to fans who showed ticket stubs from local high school games played on certain weeks. In competition, the Dallas Cowboys had such promotions as hiring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans for a halftime show.^[3]

In their early years, the Texans had a strong home-state identity with quarterback Cotton Davidson from Baylor, linebacker Sherrill Headrick from TCU and running back Abner Haynes from North Texas. Haynes led the league with 875 rushing yards and nine TDs, as well as combined net yards (2,100) and punt return average (15.4).^[2] The Texans also had a flashy, high-scoring club which finished the year at 8–6 as three close losses kept the squad from challenging for the division title. The Texans averaged 24,500 for their home games, the highest average in the league.^[2] In one attempt to draw more fans to their games, the Texans would offer free tickets to anyone who brought a ticket stub from the previous Friday's high school football game, to counter the NFL Cowboys' playing their home games on Friday night.

In 1961, the Texans and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys both drafted linebacker E.J. Holub from Texas Tech, described by many scouts as "the best football player in America." Holub decided to play for the Texans, joining three future franchise Hall of Famers—Jerry Mays, Fred Arbanas and Jim Tyrer—as part of the club's draft class. The club moved its training camp to Lamar Hunt's alma mater of Southern Methodist University and started the regular season at 3–1 before hitting a six-game losing skid, the longest such streak of Stram's tenure with the franchise. The Texans rebounded to claim wins in three of its final four contests to finish 6–8, marking the club's second straight finish behind the San Diego Chargers in the AFL Western Conference standings.^[2]

In 1962, head coach Hank Stram was named AFL Coach of the Year and running back Curtis McClinton was named the AFL Rookie of the Year. Haynes became the franchise's first 1,000-yard rusher, concluding the season with 1,049 yards and an AFL-high 13 rushing touchdowns.^[2]

The Texans clinched their initial AFL Western Division Championship in November and finished with an 11–3 regular season record. The team won the 1962 AFL Championship when kicker Tommy Brooker connected on a 25-yard field goal during the second overtime of the title game, giving the Texans a 20–17 victory against the Houston Oilers. Spanning an elapsed time of 77:54, the game stands as the third-longest contest in pro football history.^[4] Until a Christmas Day playoff game in 1971 between the Chiefs and Dolphins, the game was the longest ever played.^[2]

The move to Kansas City

Dallas

Kansas City

Following the 1962 season, the team relocated to Kansas City, where they were renamed the Chiefs.

The Dallas Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960.^[5] By the end of the 1962 season, it was apparent that Dallas could not support two teams.^[2] Even though the Texans had been far more successful on the field, Hunt investigated opportunities to move his team elsewhere for the 1963 season, including Miami,^[2] Atlanta,^[2] Seattle and New Orleans. Hunt wanted to find a city to which he could commute easily from Dallas, and when he was unable to secure Tulane Stadium because the university didn't want its football program to compete with a pro team, he turned to Kansas City, Missouri, where Mayor H. Roe Bartle persuaded him to move to the Midwest.^[6]

The negotiations in Kansas City were conducted in secrecy.^[2] On several occasions Hunt and Jack Steadman were in Kansas City and met with businessmen, without the general public's knowledge. Bartle introduced Hunt as "Mr. Lamar" in all the meetings with other Kansas City businessmen. Steadman was introduced as "Jack X."^[6]

The support the team received from the Kansas City community before the team announced the move was extraordinary. Hunt made the move dependent upon the ability of Mayor Bartle and the Kansas City community to guarantee him 35,000 in season ticket sales. Hunt had set this number, being that it was the Texans' average attendance at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. An ambitious campaign took shape to deliver on Bartle's guarantee to Hunt of tripling the season-ticket base the Texans had enjoyed in Dallas. Kansas City's mayor also promised to add 3,000 permanent seats to Municipal Stadium, as well as 11,000 temporary bleacher seats. Along with Bartle, a number of other prominent Kansas Citians stepped forward to aid in the efforts, putting together more than 1,000 workers to sell season tickets.^[2]

Bartle called to his office 20 business leaders and called upon them to form an association later known as "The Gold Coats", whose sole objective was to sell and take down payments on the 35,000 season tickets required. "The Gold Coats" had to sell season tickets to people without knowing the team name, where it was coming from, who the owner was, which football league they would play in, who the players or coaches were, when the team would play its first game in Kansas City, or where it would play. Hunt gave Bartle a four-month deadline to accomplish the sales. Bartle and "The Gold Coats" made good in only 8 weeks. Later, Hunt admitted he was really only hoping for 20,000, for which he still would have moved the franchise. On May 22, Hunt announced he was moving the franchise to Kansas City, Missouri.^[2]

Hunt, with a roster replete with players who had played college football in Texas, wanted to maintain a lineage to the team's roots and wanted to name the club the Kansas City Texans.^[2] "The Lakers stayed the Lakers when they moved from Minnesota to California", he reasoned. "But Jack Steadman convinced me that wasn't too smart. It wouldn't sell." The team was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs—one of the most popular suggestions Hunt received in a name-the-team contest.^[6] Lamar Hunt sent letters dated June 21, 1963, to all the contest entrants who selected the name CHIEFS in the "Rename the Texans" contest of whom Mrs. Joan Feuerborn was one of those entrants, and along with their respective guesses as to the number of season tickets sold by May 1. The actual total was 10,808, and based on this the car winner was Mr. E. L. Diemler of Kansas City, Missouri, a warehouse manager who got the idea when making out a bill of lading to Chief Freight Lines.^[7] Another name also considered at the time for the team was the Kansas City Mules.^[6]

The name, "Chiefs" is not only derived from a fan contest, but also from Mayor Bartle, who 35 years prior, founded the Native American-based honor society known as The Tribe of Mic-O-Say within the Boy Scouts of America organization, which earned him the nickname, "The Chief."^[2]

The Chiefs moved into Municipal Stadium, located at 22nd and Brooklyn, which opened in 1923 and had 49,002 seats. The Chiefs shared the facilities with the Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball. The first appearance of the Chiefs in Municipal Stadium attracted just 5,721 fans for a 17–13 pre-season victory against Buffalo on August 9.^[2]

The Chiefs' inaugural season in Kansas City began with owner Lamar Hunt's trade of starting quarterback Cotton Davidson to the Oakland Raiders, which landed the number one overall selection in the AFL Draft (which they used to select Buck Buchanan). Ironically, the Raiders would later select Gene Upshaw in 1967 for the express purpose of blocking Buchanan.^[2] The Chiefs also selected guard Ed Budde from Michigan State with their other first round pick, and Bobby Bell from Minnesota in the seventh round. Buchanan, Budde and Bell all became starters on their way to a combined 526 games with the team and all three of them played their entire careers with the Chiefs.^[2]

Tragedy struck the club when rookie running back Stone Johnson, who was a sprinter in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck in a pre-season game against Oakland on August 30 in Wichita, Kansas. He died 10 days later on September 8 and his jersey number 33 was subsequently retired.^[2] The Chiefs finished their first season in Kansas City with a 5–7–2 record and failed to reappear in the AFL Championship game for a consecutive year.

Building a champion, 1964–1969

In 1964, the Chiefs began the year with a 2–1 mark before dropping three consecutive games as several of the team's best players, including E.J. Holub, Fred Arbanas and Johnny Robinson missed numerous games with injuries. Arbanas missed the final two games of the year after undergoing surgery to his left eye, in which he suffered almost total loss of vision. Running back Mack Lee Hill, who signed with the club as a rookie free agent and received a mere $300 signing bonus, entered the starting lineup and earned a spot in the AFL All-Star Game. The club rounded out the season with two consecutive wins to close the season at 7–7, finishing second in the AFL Western Conference behind the San Diego Chargers. An average of just 18,126 fans attended each home game at Municipal Stadium, prompting discussion at the AFL owners' meeting about the Chiefs future in Kansas City.^[2]

For the 1965 season, the Chiefs were once again caught in the middle of the AFL and NFL's bidding wars for college talent. Kansas City made running back Gale Sayers from the University of Kansas their first-round draft pick, but Sayers eventually signed with the Bears for less money.^[2] Running back Mack Lee Hill suffered torn ligaments in his right knee in the second to last regular season game of the year at Buffalo on December 12. Following what was expected to be a routine surgery on December 14 at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, Hill died from what was termed "a sudden and massive embolism." Hunt called Hill's death "the worst shock possible." Beginning the following year, the club annually bestowed the Mack Lee Hill Award on its top rookie or first-year performer in Hill's honor. Just days after Hill's unexpected death, the mourning Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos on December 19 to finish the year with a 7–5–2 record, their first winning season in Kansas City.^[2]

In 1966, the Chiefs were beginning to lay the groundwork for a return to the AFL Championship game and eventual dominance in the later years of the AFL. Team owner Lamar Hunt was publicly negotiating with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle about a possible merger of the two leagues. Defensive end Aaron Brown was highly coveted by many clubs, including the NFL's Steelers, who intended to select him. The Steelers couldn't locate Brown on draft day since he was already aboard a flight with Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, who carried out the first mid-air signing in team history. The Chiefs signed Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mike Garrett in the 20th round of the 1966 AFL Draft. Garrett went on to earn AFL Rookie of the Year honors for the 1966 season.^[2]

The Chiefs started the season at 3–0. A crowd of 43,885 attended the Chiefs home opener against the defending AFL Champion Buffalo Bills on October 2, the largest ever to witness a sports event in Kansas City at the time. The Chiefs dropped a 29–14 decision to the Bills, but after the contest, Chiefs coach Hank Stram and Buffalo head coach Joe Collier negotiated a trade in the middle of the field. Kansas City received placekicker Mike Mercer for a fifth-round pick. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson led the league in passing, while Otis Taylor became the first 1,000-yard receiver in franchise history, registering 1,297 yards. The Chiefs finished three games in front of Oakland to claim an AFL Western Conference title with an 11–2–1 record, setting the stage for the franchise's second trip to the AFL Championship Game.^[2]

Using a dazzling I-formation offense and a smothering defense, the Chiefs claimed a dominating 31–7 victory in the AFL title game at Buffalo on New Year's Day, 1967. That victory propelled Kansas City to the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later known as the Super Bowl. At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Chiefs met Vince Lombardi's powerful Green Bay Packers of the National Football League on January 15, 1967. The Chiefs played the Packers close for a half, trailing 14–10, but Green Bay took control in the final two quarters, winning the game by a score of 35–10.^[2]

For 1967, the club's special teams got a boost with the addition of kicker Jan Stenerud, and kick returner Noland "Super Gnat" Smith. The Chiefs' first regular season game against an NFL team resulted in a commanding 66–24 Chiefs victory against the Chicago Bears at Municipal Stadium on August 23. Injuries again hit the club hard during the regular season as the Chiefs clawed their way to a 9–5 record.^[2]

Interest in the team skyrocketed following the team's appearance in the AFL-NFL Championship Game, forcing an increase in seating capacity at Municipal Stadium from 40,000 to 47,000. In June, Jackson County voters approved a $43 million bond issue for construction of a sports complex^[2] to be completed by 1972. Eastern Jackson County was chosen as the site of the Chiefs and Royals' new stadiums, and groundbreaking ceremonies took place in July with plans calling for a unique "rolling roof" design (which was later scrapped).

The 1968 Chiefs defense allowed a franchise-low 170 points (12.1 ppg). The nucleus of the defensive unit was in its prime, producing six AFL All-Stars, including all three of the squad's linebackers. Offensively, quarterback Len Dawson led the AFL in passing for the fourth time. The Chiefs began the season with a 7–1 record and rattled off five straight victories to close the regular season at 12–2, sharing the AFL Western Conference title with the Oakland Raiders and setting up a one-game playoff between the two teams. Kansas City lost a 41–6 decision at Oakland on December 22 as the Raiders advanced to the 1968 AFL Championship Game against the New York Jets.^[2] The loss to Oakland is considered to be the beginning of the Chiefs' rivalry with the Raiders, one of the NFL's most bitter feuds.

The Chiefs used the momentum they built during the 1968 campaign by posting a perfect 6–0 record during pre-season play for 1969. The team began the regular season with four consecutive road games for the only time in team history. After a decisive 27–9 win at San Diego on September 14, the club posted a 31–0 shutout at Boston on September 21. During the game, quarterback Len Dawson sustained a knee injury which would sideline him for the following two months.

The once-optimistic picture for the Chiefs went from bad to worse the following week when back-up quarterback Jacky Lee went down with a broken ankle in a 24–19 loss at Cincinnati on September 28. That injury left the team's most crucial position in the hands of second-year quarterback Mike Livingston, who took just five snaps as a rookie in 1968.^[2] However, Livingston engineered a five-game winning streak, while getting plenty of help from the club's defense. The team's home opener was played in a day-long deluge referred to as a "frog-strangler" by Chiefs radio broadcaster Bill Grigsby. The Chiefs and Houston Oilers combined for 14 fumbles in a 24–0 Kansas City victory on October 12. Len Dawson returned to the starting lineup in a 27–3 win against San Diego on November 9 and guided the club to three wins in the season's next four games.^[2]

The Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 31–17 on Thanksgiving Day. Trailing 24–17 late in the game, Denver attempted an onside kick that was recovered by linebacker Bobby Bell, who promptly returned that kick for a 53-yard touchdown. Mike Livingston started the following week against Buffalo on December 7 for an again-injured Dawson, who returned for the regular season finale at Oakland on December 13. A 10–6 loss against the Raiders gave the Chiefs an 11–3 record, good for second in the AFC Western Conference behind Oakland (12–1–1).^[2]

In an AFL Divisional Playoff Game at New York, Kansas City rode its dominating defense which produced a crucial goal-line stand en route to a 13–6 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Jets to set up a rematch with the Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game. Looking for retribution of the previous losses in the regular season and in the 1968 playoffs, the Chiefs became the league's only three-time champions, defeating the Raiders by a 17–7 count at Oakland on January 4, 1970.

During the days preceding Kansas City's clash with the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, unsubstantiated media reports associating Len Dawson with a known gambler hounded the Chiefs quarterback.^[8] Dawson was later revealed to be mistaken for another man with the same last name. The night before Super Bowl IV, Ed Sabol of NFL Films approached Vikings coach Bud Grant about being wired for sound for the game. Grant declined, but Chiefs coach Hank Stram accepted. As both the Chiefs and the cameras rolled, Stram clamored for his team to run "65 toss power trap" and to "keep matriculating the ball down the field."^[8] Stram became the first-ever coach to be wired for NFL Films, and ironically, as a coach in the rival AFL.

The Chiefs used the game as a crusade for the American Football League and wore "AFL-10" patches honoring the league's 10-year existence. The Chiefs used three field goals from Jan Stenerud and a rushing touchdown from Mike Garrett to take a 16–0 halftime lead. A dynamic 46-yard TD pass from Len Dawson to Otis Taylor in the third quarter sealed the victory as Dawson was named the game's Most Valuable Player.^[8] Perhaps the grittiest performance of the day came from safety Johnny Robinson, who registered two interceptions and a fumble recovery despite playing with three broken ribs. At approximately 5:20 PM, the final seconds ticked off the clock at Tulane Stadium as the Chiefs were crowned World Champions by claiming a 23–7 victory in the final game between the AFL and NFL.^[8] A victory parade ensued upon the club's triumphant return the following day in downtown Kansas City.^[8] Super Bowl IV was the last championship won by the Chiefs until Super Bowl LIV,

Fall from glory, 1970–1977

Following their championship win, the NFL-AFL merger placed the Chiefs in the newly created AFC West division with the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos. The team traded running back Mike Garrett to San Diego in 1970 and replaced him in the lineup with Ed Podolak. Despite a 44–24 win against Baltimore on September 28 in just the second-ever telecast of ABC's Monday Night Football package, the Chiefs owned a 3–3–1 record at the season's midpoint. The Chiefs and the Raiders tied a game at 17–17 on November 1 following a controversial play from Oakland. The Chiefs were ahead 17–14 when Len Dawson apparently sealed the win, running for a first down which would have allowed Kansas City to run out the clock. While on the ground, Dawson was speared by Raiders defensive end Ben Davidson in an infamous incident that cost the Chiefs a victory and further inflamed the already heated Chiefs-Raiders rivalry.^[8] Wide receiver Otis Taylor retaliated and a bench-clearing brawl ensued. Offsetting penalties were called, nullifying Dawson's first down. The Chiefs were forced to punt and Raiders kicker George Blanda booted a game-tying field goal with eight seconds remaining. That tie ultimately cost the Chiefs the opportunity to split the AFC West division title with Oakland as Kansas City finished the year with a 7–5–2 record, while the Raiders went 8–4–2 and reached the conference championship.^[8]

In 1971, the Chiefs were regarded by many as the finest squad ever assembled by the franchise, including team owner Lamar Hunt. The team featured a franchise record 11 Pro Bowlers. Offensively, wide receiver Otis Taylor led the league with 1,110 receiving yards. In just his third pro season, Ed Podolak surpassed Abner Haynes as the all-time leading rusher in team history. The longstanding linebacking trio of Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell and Jim Lynch was the league's best. The offensive line was headlined by guard Ed Budde and tackle Jim Tyrer, while the defensive front featured a pair of Pro Bowlers in tackles Buck Buchanan and Curley Culp. Both placekicker Jan Stenerud and punter Jerrel Wilson represented the squad in the Pro Bowl, as well.^[8]

After bolting to a 5–1–1 start, the club went 5–2 during the second half of the season to finish the year at 10–3–1. A 16–14 victory against Oakland on December 12 gave the franchise its initial AFC West title.^[8] The great promise of the 1971 campaign ended dramatically in the longest game in NFL history, an AFC Divisional Playoff Game played on Christmas Day against the Miami Dolphins. It took 82:40^[8] to finish the contest, but a 37-yard field goal from Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian finally ended this epic as Miami claimed a 27–24 double overtime win in the final football contest played at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. Chiefs' running back Ed Podolak accounted for 350 combined net yards, a figure that remains an NFL post-season record.^[8] The baton of power in the AFC was officially passed to the Dolphins, who went on to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls. It would be the Chiefs' last playoff appearance for 15 years, effectively signaling the conclusion of the franchise's glory days.

In 1972, the last original member of the 1960 Dallas Texans team departed when safety Johnny Robinson announced his retirement at training camp. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Len Dawson ended speculation about his retirement by signing a two-year contract. Franchise owner Lamar Hunt became the first AFL figure to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 29.^[8]

After two different construction strikes and a myriad of other delays, Arrowhead Stadium was officially dedicated on August 12 when the Chiefs registered a 24–14 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. Running back Ed Podolak scored the first touchdown in the facility. Regular season ticket prices for the team's first season at Arrowhead were USD$8 for box seats and $7 for reserved seating.^[8]

On September 17, the Chiefs lost a 20–10 decision against Miami in the first regular season game at Arrowhead in front of a crowd of 79,829.^[8] A standing-room-only crowd of 82,094 fans was in attendance for a 27–14 victory against Oakland on November 5, the largest "in-house" attendance total for an NFL contest in Arrowhead's history.^[8] After a 5–3 start, a three-game losing streak effectively eliminated the club from playoff contention, including an embarrassing home loss to the winless Philadelphia Eagles. An 8–6 record was good enough for only a second-place finish in the AFC West behind Oakland. Linebacker Willie Lanier became the first Chiefs player to receive the NFL Man of the Year Award in the offseason.

For 1973, quarterback Mike Livingston started in a 23–13 Opening Day loss against Los Angeles, but Len Dawson returned to rally the club for three consecutive wins to get the club off to a 3–1 start for a third consecutive year. The aging Len Dawson made his final start of the year in a 23–14 loss at Buffalo on October 29 on Monday Night Football and was replaced for the remainder of the year by Livingston, beginning a string of three straight seasons in which both players split time at the position.^[8] Livingston led the club to another three straight wins, putting the team in first place in mid-November with a 6–3–1 record. A 1–2–1 ledger over the season's final month ended the club's post-season aspirations as the team finished the year in a second-place tie with Denver at 7–5–2. Len Dawson became the second Chiefs player in as many years to win the NFL Man of the Year Award. Following Super Bowl VIII, The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was held at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20 with the AFC claiming a 15–13 win thanks to five field goals from Miami placekicker Garo Yepremian.^[8]

While the club's sparkling new facility at Arrowhead Stadium was drawing rave reviews, the Chiefs roster was beginning to show its age in 1974. The result was the team's first losing season in 11 years as the club was unable to string together consecutive victories during the year, a first in franchise history.^[8] Most of the team's starters were advancing in age: Len Dawson was 39, Jim Tyrer was 35, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, and Ed Budde were 34, Dave Hill was 33 and Otis Taylor was 32.^[8]

One of the year's few bright spots in the 5–9 season was cornerback Emmitt Thomas, who led the league with a franchise-record 12 interceptions. The final game of the 1974 campaign marked the final time all five of Kansas City's future Hall of Fame players from the club's AFL championship era took the field together with coach Hank Stram. Including Lamar Hunt and five future Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers, an amazing total of 12 Hall of Fame inductees were involved in that 1974 season finale game. That 35–15 loss against Super Bowl-bound Minnesota provided an anticlimactic conclusion to Hank Stram's illustrious coaching career in Kansas City. Stram, the only head coach in franchise history was relieved of his duties on December 27 after compiling a 124–76–10 regular season record with the club.^[8]

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Paul Wiggin was named the second head coach in franchise history on January 23, 1975.^[8] Wiggin inherited the unenviable task of rebuilding a squad whose pool of talent had been largely depleted due to age and a number of ill-considered trades that had left the club devoid of first-round draft choices in 1973 and 1975.^[8] After an 0–3 start to the season, Wiggin directed the Chiefs to three straight wins, beginning with a convincing 42–10 victory against the Raiders. The highlight of the season was a 34–31 upset win at Dallas on Monday Night Football. The club could not maintain the early success; owning a 5–5 record heading into the home stretch of the season, injuries to a number of key players crippled the team. The team dropped its final four contests of the year to finish at 5–9 for the second consecutive season. The regular season finale at Oakland marked the final games in the Hall of Fame careers of Len Dawson and Buck Buchanan.^[8]

By 1976, many of the Chiefs' championship players were on their way out of Kansas City. Buck Buchanan announced his retirement in February, while Dawson announced his own departure on May 1.^[8] Off the field, Jack Steadman was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf was named general manager in August. On the field, Kansas City's fortunes didn't improve in the second year of the Wiggin regime. The club dropped three straight home games, including a 27–17 loss to a New Orleans Saints team coached by Stram, before suffering a 50–17 setback at Buffalo on October 3, opening the season at 0–4 for the first time in team history.^[8] The team registered a 3–1 record during a successful midseason stretch, but like most of the previous seasons, could not maintain that momentum.

After lingering in Len Dawson's shadow for eight seasons, Mike Livingston was firmly entrenched as the team's starting quarterback, becoming the first QB to start every regular season game since Dawson in 1968. Although Livingston played well and rallied the squad for wins in two of the season's final three games, the Chiefs still ended the year with their third consecutive 5–9 record.^[8] Running back MacArthur Lane was the club's top offensive threat, becoming the only player at the time in franchise history to lead the league in receptions (66).

On the field, the Chiefs suffered their worst season ever in 1977, winning just twice and undergoing a mid-season coaching change. Following three consecutive 5–9 seasons, the team finished with a league worst 2–12 record. An 0–5 start doomed the squad with a 44–7 loss at Cleveland, where Wiggin starred as a defensive lineman during the Browns' glory days, effectively sealing the coach's fate. Wiggin was relieved of his duties on Halloween, marking the only in-season coaching switch in team history.^[8] Defensive backs coach Tom Bettis was named interim coach and claimed a 20–10 victory against Green Bay in the club's initial contest under his direction, but it was the only victory of his brief head coaching tenure.^[8]

Bettis and the remainder of the coaching staff assembled by Wiggin were relieved on December 19, one day after a 21–20 loss at Oakland in the regular season finale.^[8] Marv Levy, the former head coach of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, was named the fourth head coach in franchise history the following day. The heart and soul of the Chiefs once-vaunted defense departed when Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch retired following the season.^[8]

Signs of improvement, 1978–1982

For 1978, Marv Levy's systematic restocking of a relatively barren defensive roster began with a 1978 draft class that included defensive end Art Still and linebacker Gary Spani. Running back Ed Podolak, who was the club's all-time leading rusher at the time, retired in the offseason on June 15.^[8]

Perhaps Levy's most unconventional tactic in rebuilding the Chiefs was installing the "Wing-T offense". "It was a situation where we took over a team that had the worst defensive record in the history of the National Football League", Levy explained. "We wanted to keep that defense off the field, so we ran the ball 60 times a game."^[8] The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards.^[8] Levy's squad ran the ball a staggering 69 times in a 24–23 Opening Day win at Cincinnati on September 3, the most rushing attempts in an NFL contest since 1948.^[8] Five different players had 100-yard rushing games during the year, including running back Tony Reed, who finished the season with 1,053 yards to become the team's first 1,000-yard back since 1967.^[8] Despite the squad's Opening Day success, the club lost 10 of its next 11 games, including a pair of overtime decisions. However, the team showed signs of improvement with the defense recording a 23–0 shutout against San Diego on November 26 as the club concluded its first 16-game schedule with a 4–12 mark.

In 1979, Kansas City owned a pair of picks in the first round of the Draft, selecting defensive end Mike Bell and quarterback Steve Fuller. By the season's third game, Fuller had supplanted Mike Livingston as the club's starter.^[8]

With Fuller at the helm, the Chiefs owned a 4–2 record after six games, but a five-game mid-season losing stretch sullied that effort. Despite finishing fifth in the AFC West for a second straight season, Kansas City's 7–9 record was a notable accomplishment considering the fact that the division's other four clubs all posted winning records for a second consecutive season.^[8] The Chiefs lost a 3–0 decision at Tampa Bay on December 16 in one of the most water-logged contests in franchise annals. As both clubs struggled to move the ball under monsoon-like conditions, a late, fourth-quarter field goal by the Buccaneers averted the NFL's first scoreless tie since 1943.^[8]

In 1980, the Chiefs selected guard Brad Budde in the first round of the Draft, the son of former Chiefs guard Ed Budde, as the team's first-round draft choice, making the Buddes the first father-son combination to become first-round draftees of the same team in NFL history.^[9] In a then-controversial move on August 26, the Chiefs released placekicker Jan Stenerud, who at the time was club's all-time leading scorer. He was replaced by journeyman Nick Lowery, who had been cut 11 times by eight different teams himself.

After enduring an 0–4 start, the club rebounded to post a four-game winning streak, starting with a 31–17 victory in Oakland, in which Raiders quarterback Dan Pastorini broke his leg and was replaced by Jim Plunkett, who guided the team to the Super Bowl XV championship. After Steve Fuller was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season, former Miami 12th-round draft choice Bill Kenney became the team's starting quarterback. He was so anonymous that when he appeared in that contest, the name on the back of his jersey was inadvertently misspelled "Kenny."^[9] Kenney went on to lead the club to a 31–14 victory against Denver on December 7 in his initial NFL start. The defense continued to evolve as defensive end Art Still and safety Gary Barbaro became the first Chiefs defensive players to be elected to the Pro Bowl in five seasons. The Chiefs finished the year at 8–8, the club's highest victory tally since 1972.^[9]

Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6–2 start, including a 37–33 win over the Steelers on Opening Day. Second-round draft choice, running back Joe Delaney electrified the club's offense by rushing for 1,121 yards, a team single-season record at the time. He was named the AFC's Rookie of the Year and became the first running back to represent the franchise in the Pro Bowl.^[9] Delaney registered a 193-yard performance in a 23–10 victory against the Oilers on November 15, the best single-game total ever amassed by a Kansas City rookie.^[9]

Owning an 8–4 record with four games remaining, the Chiefs were poised to make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. However, a three-game losing streak ended the anticipation. Bill Kenney missed the club's final three contests due to injury as Steve Fuller temporarily reclaimed the starting QB position and guided the club to a 10–6 win at Minnesota, in the final contest played at Metropolitan Stadium. With the Chiefs winning the game, Vikings fans began dismembering the stadium as early as the second half—taking seats, pieces of the scoreboard and even chunks of sod as souvenirs.^[9] The victory assured the Chiefs of a 9–7 record, the club's first winning mark since 1973 as coach Marv Levy increased the club's victory total for a third consecutive year. Inspired by the Washington Redskins's "Hail to the Redskins", Levy penned a fight song for the Chiefs called "Give a Cheer for Kansas City" which never caught on.^[9]

In 1982, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time.^[9] Optimism abounded at Arrowhead thanks to the club's promising 9–7 record from 1981, but swelling labor unrest from NFL players spelled doom for both the Chiefs and Levy in 1982. The Chiefs split their first two games of the year before a 57-day strike by the NFL Players Association began at midnight on September 20. The strike concluded on November 17 after six games were canceled and one was rescheduled, but the Chiefs would never recover, dropping four straight games after their return to the field. Center Jack Rudnay, who had been one of the franchise's most durable and decorated offensive performers over the past decade, announced on December 20 that he would retire after the season. Despite wins in two of the season's final three games, the Levy era concluded as the club finished the strike-shortened campaign at 3–6.^[9]

Unbalanced chemistry, 1983–1988

"Martyball", 1989–2000

After compiling an 8–22–1 record in two seasons, Frank Gansz was relieved of his duties as head coach on January 5, 1989. General manager Carl Peterson's selection as Gansz's successor would be former Cleveland Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who was named the seventh head coach in Chiefs history on January 24. The first draft choice of the Peterson era set the tone for the next decade as the club selected linebacker Derrick Thomas with the fourth overall selection. Thomas paired with defensive end Neil Smith to form one of the most feared pass-rushing duos in NFL history, compiling a combined 212.5 sacks during their illustrious Chiefs careers. The Peterson-Schottenheimer era got off to an inauspicious start in a 34–20 loss at Denver on September 10 as quarterback Steve DeBerg's first pass attempt was intercepted and returned for a TD.^[9] The club won just four times in its next 10 games as former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski and Steve Pelluer, who was acquired in a trade from Dallas, each opened three games apiece during that span. DeBerg regained the starting job for the final five weeks of the season, generating four wins that put the Chiefs just out of post-season qualification at 8–7–1. A 34–0 shutout win against Houston highlighted the club's stretch run. Running back Christian Okoye became the first Chief to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,480 yards, while Derrick Thomas won consensus NFL Rookie of the Year honors.^[9]

An explosive offense, 2001–2005

Rebuilding a contender, 2006–2012

The Andy Reid era, 2013–present

2018: First AFC Championship Game in 25 years

In the same month as the playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, a trade was announced between the Chiefs and the Washington Redskins, and after five years of starting at least 15 games in each year, Alex Smith was traded to the Redskins. In return, the Chiefs received Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick.

In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Chiefs did not have a first-round selection due to their trade to acquire the selection to draft Patrick Mahomes, but they traded up to select Breeland Speaks in the second round of the NFL Draft. This draft also demonstrated the emphasis on improving the defense as the Chiefs only selected defensive players in the draft.

Identically to 2017, the Chiefs started out the season 5–0 and then lost their following game to an AFC juggernaut, this time to the New England Patriots in primetime. During this stretch, Patrick Mahomes threw ten touchdown passes in his first two games and four more over the next three. This was the start of an incredible campaign for the 23-year-old, as he finished the season with over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns, being the second quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat, only behind Peyton Manning. After the Chiefs fell to the Patriots, they then won their next four to sit at 9–1 heading into their game against the also 9–1 Los Angeles Rams. While Patrick Mahomes threw six touchdown passes and led his team to over 50 points, he also had five turnovers and the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to lose a game while also scoring 50 points or more, as the Chiefs lost 54–51. The Chiefs then won their next two games to clinch a playoff berth in Week 14 as they were able to beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime and sit at 11–2 on the season. Only needing a victory to secure a first-round bye and a third consecutive AFC West title, the Chiefs fell short against the Los Angeles Chargers and fell to 11–3 on the season as they lost 29–28. After the Chargers lost the following Saturday to the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs only needed to beat the Seattle Seahawks to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC and an AFC West title. The Chiefs, however, fell short and lost 38–31. Now sitting at 11–4 and only needing to beat the Oakland Raiders to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC but also having the risk of falling all the way to the #5 seed, the Chiefs walloped the 4–11 Oakland Raiders 35–3, and clinched their third consecutive AFC West title and the #1 seed in the AFC for the first time since 1997.

Heading into the 2018–19 NFL playoffs, the Chiefs were sitting at 12–4 and were the #1 seed in the AFC. After the Indianapolis Colts were able to beat the Houston Texans on the road, the Colts came to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in a divisional round matchup. The Colts to this point were 4–0 against the Chiefs in the playoffs and had given them plenty of trouble in the past. However, the Chiefs continued their stellar season with an impressive victory over the Colts, as the Chiefs won 31–13 and did not falter down the stretch like some of their previous postseason games in the Andy Reid era. This win came on a combination of four rushing touchdowns and a defense that only allowed six points, as the other seven came on a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown. With this victory, the Chiefs were able to host the AFC Championship Game for the first time in team history, and this was the first time ever that Kansas City had hosted a conference championship or a championship game in the AFL or NFL. After the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers, the matchup was set: Patriots at Chiefs for the AFC Championship.

In the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs started out slow and were shut out in the first half, and the Patriots were leading 14–0. By the fourth quarter, however, the Chiefs were winning 21–17. The teams traded blows during the fourth quarter, where the two teams combined to score 38 points in the quarter. Down 31–28 with one timeout and only 39 seconds to go, the Chiefs were able to drive down the field and kick a field goal to send the game into overtime. However, the Chiefs did not win the coin toss and the Patriots received the ball to begin overtime. The Chiefs were able to get the Patriots into three 3rd down and 10 to go situations, however the Patriots converted on all of them and eventually scored a touchdown to win the game by a score of 37–31. It was the third consecutive year where the Chiefs had lost a playoff game by six points or less.

The 2018 Chiefs also became the first team in NFL history to score at least 26 points in all of their games.

2019: First Super Bowl in 50 years

Heading into the 2019 offseason, the Chiefs had many key players that they cut, traded, or allowed to become free agents. Some of these players included Dee Ford (traded after being franchise tagged), Mitch Morse, Chris Conley, Allen Bailey, Justin Houston, Eric Berry, and more. The Chiefs also had to find a new defensive coordinator after the firing of Bob Sutton following the collapse against New England in the AFC Championship game. The Chiefs would hire Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator on January 24, 2019.^[22]

Kansas City enjoyed a 4–0 start before losing to the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. Patrick Mahomes suffered a dislocated kneecap during the next game, a win over the rival Denver Broncos, missing the next two weeks.^[23] After an upset loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Chiefs would win their remaining games, including a Monday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City and a 23–16 win over the defending Super Bowl champions New England Patriots in Foxboro, to finish the season at 12–4, clinching the AFC West title and a first-round bye in the playoffs for the second consecutive season.^[24]

In the Divisional round of the playoffs, Kansas City faced a rematch against the Houston Texans, falling behind 24–0 in the second quarter. However, the Chiefs then scored 41 unanswered points, including 28 in the second quarter, on the way to crushing the Texans 51–31. It was the first time in NFL postseason history that a team came back from a deficit of 20 or more points to win by 20 or more points.^[25] The Chiefs then faced a rematch against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game. They once again found themselves behind early as Tennessee took a 10–0 lead, but Kansas City took the lead by halftime, thanks to two passing touchdowns from Mahomes to Tyreek Hill and a Mahomes touchdown run. The Chiefs ultimately won 35–24, avenging another regular season loss and clinching their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years.^[26]

In Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs were down 20–10 in the 4th quarter only to come back and win 31–20 to get their first Super Bowl in 50 years and second Super Bowl overall. Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for his 285-yard, 2-TD performance.^[27]

2020: Return to the Super Bowl

After their huge 2019 campaign, the Chiefs were ready to build up. However, running back Damien Williams opted out of playing the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This did not matter much, however, as the Chiefs used their first-round draft pick on star LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.^[28]

The 2020 season was a dominant season for the Chiefs, as they managed to enjoy their fourth straight 4–0 start, an NFL record.^[29] They also managed to break the franchise record for longest winning streak in history (previously held by the 2015 Chiefs) at 12 after a 34–20 week 3 win at Baltimore. Their first loss came at the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders, who beat them in Kansas City for the first time since the Chiefs' miserable 2012 season;^[30] the loss ended the Chiefs' franchise-record winning streak at 13. The Chiefs then went on to win ten straight games on their way to a league-high and franchise-best 14–2 record.

In the postseason, the Chiefs started off against the Cleveland Browns, who had just acquired their first playoff win in a quarter-century. The Chiefs held on to a 19–3 lead before Patrick Mahomes went down with a minor concussion. After that, the Browns attempted a comeback, trailing 22–17 in the final minutes. That's when Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne hit Tyreek Hill perfectly on fourth and inches in one of the gutsiest play calls in NFL history, to seal the victory.^[31] In their third straight AFC Championship Game at home (an NFL record), the Chiefs played the Buffalo Bills, who, like the Browns, had also just overcome a quarter-century playoff win drought. Despite trailing 9–0 in the first quarter, the Chiefs would remind fans of 2019 by scoring three straight touchdowns on their way to a thrilling 38–24 victory, to win their second straight Lamar Hunt trophy.^[32]

Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the fifth meeting between Mahomes and Tom Brady. The series was 2–2 heading into the game. What was supposed to be a battle for the ages instead became a domination. The Chiefs could not get anything going right, not scoring a single touchdown in the game for the first time in Mahomes' career, as the Buccaneers crushed them 31–9.^[33] With the loss, the Chiefs were denied a second straight NFL title, which would have ended the streak at 15 for consecutive years without repeat world champions.

2021: Losing at the AFC championship

2022–23: Back–to–Back Super Bowls

In 2022, the Chiefs made it to Super Bowl LVII, where they beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35, winning their franchise's third Super Bowl. In 2023, they faced-off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII for a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. They beat the 49ers 25–22 in overtime, the second game to do so in Super Bowl history. The Chiefs' win made them the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.