From Len Dawson’s glory days to Patrick Mahomes’ dynasty, the Kansas City Chiefs have built a playoff legacy for the ages.
Chiefs’ Playoff History
With all the recent success of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, it can be difficult to remember that they were not always a dominant team in the AFC when January rolled around. The Kansas City Chiefs playoff history has not heated up until recently.
The Chiefs have become automatic favorites to go to the playoffs every year now under Patrick Mahomes, but it hasn’t always been that way. Kansas City playoff games were lacking in the 70s and 80s, with the Chiefs going on 14 years without making the playoffs once.
The Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl in team history (1969) before Mahomes arrived. Now, the Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the last five seasons. They have appeared in four of the past five Super Bowls, with Patrick Mahomes becoming the new Tom Brady of the NFL.
Chiefs’ Playoff History
Before Patrick Mahomes, there was Len Dawson. Dawson started his career in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, hopping around with a few teams before landing in Kansas City in 1963. He would spend the rest of his career in Kansas City with the Chiefs, ultimately bringing them their first Super Bowl win in team history.
Dawson brought the Chiefs to two championship games, a feat that no other Kansas City quarterback would match until Mahomes showed up. Although the Chiefs had a good run of playoff appearances from 1990-1995, making it all six years, they never got past the conference championship.
The Chiefs had multiple dominant seasons with Trent Green, who led the Chiefs to back-to-back seasons as the number-one offense in the NFL (2003-2004), but they never had playoff success in either year they achieved the top offense accolade, as their defense let them down in each season.
The Joe Montana Era
One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Joe Montana, also had a two-year stint in Kansas City that some may forget about. The Hall-Of-Famer spent the majority of his career in San Francisco, where he will always be remembered, but ended with the Chiefs before retiring.
Joe Montana helped the Chiefs make the postseason in both years with the team, but failed to make the Super Bowl either time. The Chief’s playoff schedule was difficult both seasons, and Montana was an older quarterback at the time near retirement, which probably explains why they fell short both years with the legend.
Travis Kelce Makes History
While most people think of Patrick Mahomes first when the Chiefs are mentioned, it’s difficult to leave out Travis Kelce. Kelce will go down as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, and for good reason. He always plays with heart and leaves it all on the field, being a great blocker and also a world-class receiver.
Kelce, as a tight end, is the NFL’s all-time postseason receptions leader with 165 career postseason receptions. This accolade was obtained in the game against the Baltimore Ravens in January 2024, when Kelce surpassed Jerry Rice in postseason receptions. He finished the game with 11 receptions for 116 yards, which also put him closer to Jerry Rice as the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards. Jerry Rice leads the NFL with 2,245, while Kelce is not far behind with 1,903.
While Kelce is inevitably reaching the end of his career, he has a chance to surpass Rice in both categories and establish himself as the greatest postseason receiver of all time, but would likely have to do it within the next year or two before he retires. Kelce will go down as a legend in Kansas City as the greatest tight end in franchise history and potentially the NFL as a whole.
Chiefs Playoff Wins
Overall, the Chiefs have a playoff record of 24-21 in 45 franchise postseason games. Mahomes has contributed to much of that success, as he is 15-3 himself in the playoffs. The Chiefs have appeared in six Super Bowls, winning four times. Mahomes has accounted for three of those Super Bowl wins. The Chiefs have also appeared in nine conference championships, winning six times and advancing to the Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs have easily been the most dominant NFL team in the postseason since Mahomes came to the NFL, and it looks like it may be that way for a while, as the Chiefs are dominating in the 2024-2025 NFL season once again and look to be headed for another division title. Not too many teams have been able to beat Mahomes in the playoffs, and the Chiefs may build on their postseason success through the 2020s with Mahomes at the helm for the foreseeable future. Tom Brady leads the NFL with 7 Super Bowl wins as quarterback, an achievement Patrick Mahomes may beat when it’s all said and done.
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