There are probably a few different ways to respond to a failed quest for the National Football League's first three-peat. Many teams in Kansas City's position would stand pat and prioritize roster continuity, since the offensive plan was derailed by untimely injuries at key skill positions.
Heading into Phase 1 of the offseason, the Chiefs understand they never fully realized their preseason vision due to early-season challenges. The offseason approach at this stage appears to maintain that continuity by keeping the 2024 roster intact. Team brass has certainly earned the trust of this fan base, but I'm not convinced this is the right strategy.
Several players who played significant snaps last season are returning for 2025: Kareem Hunt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. There have been a few additions—Jaylon Moore, Elijah Mitchell, and Robert Tonyan—but only one of them has real potential to make a measurable impact on the team.
If the Chiefs hope to extend the dynasty, they need to raise the ceiling instead of maintaining the floor.
2025 will largely feature the same offensive core from a year ago, despite its dynamic limitations. More stable play from the left side of the offensive line and some good injury fortune could help, but there are legitimate concerns about the offense's explosive potential if things don't come together.
Kansas City can elevate its offense by continuing to add talent. This 2025 draft class is loaded with offensive playmakers, and the Chiefs would be wise to add a couple. One of the best positions to target is running back. The hope is that incumbent starter Isiah Pacheco regains pre-injury form, but he looked largely ineffective after returning from a broken fibula he sustained in Week 2 of the 2024 season. The good news is that there are viable Top 100 options available. Players like Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Omarion Hampton are all an apparent fit and would give the team the chunk-play potential missing from last year's offense.
The wide receiver room seems to have the right pieces in place, but the key question is how often the top three options will share the field together. Rashee Rice will serve a suspension for his involvement in a multi-vehicle collision on the North Central Expressway in Dallas, and Hollywood Brown has missed significant time due to injury in two of the last three seasons. The Chiefs could realistically face a scenario where second-year man Xavier Worthy is flanked by JuJu Smith-Schuster and late-stage Travis Kelce for a stretch of the season.
The Chiefs can mitigate the lack of sufficient depth with a receiver selection in the first three rounds. Some would even argue there's a specific need to identify an X-receiver type, as there's role redundancy on the roster. Prospects like Elic Ayomanor, Jayden Higgins, and Tet McMillan could help expand possibilities for this offense.
The same is true for the defensive side of the football. Despite boasting the league's 4th-ranked scoring defense in 2024, there's still a noticeable lack of dynamic young talent. Beyond All-Pros Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie, there are arguably only two other Pro Bowl-caliber players in Nick Bolton and George Karlaftis. Safety Jaden Hicks could eventually emerge as such a player. He made a few splash plays in 2024, but time will ultimately tell if he can be counted upon in an expanded role.
There's a good chance the Chiefs draft a defensive player at pick 31, perhaps at defensive tackle. The signings of Jerry Tillery and Mike Pennel have the Chiefs Week 1–ready, but that's the kind of high-floor/low-ceiling position that could stand another player in the mold of Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant, or Walter Nolen.
The mantra In Veach We Trust is more than a cliché; it's a reflection of the success that has made Kansas City the NFL's gold standard over the past seven years, a level of success made possible by strong draft classes. 2025 is another season where the Chiefs will rely on rookie additions to do some heavy lifting.
It'll be exciting to see how aggressive general manager Brett Veach will be in raising the roster ceiling and hopefully keeping the Chiefs atop the NFL. Some are convinced the result of Super Bowl LIX proves the end is near for Kansas City's dynasty, but the Chiefs have a unique opportunity to silence those doubts in the weeks ahead.
