History of the Kansas City Chiefs
Encyclopedia
The following is a detailed history of the Kansas City Chiefs
, a professional American football
franchise that began play in 1960 as the Dallas Texans. The team was a charter member of the American Football League
(AFL), and now is currently part of the National Football League
(NFL).
The Texans won the AFL Championship in 1962, and the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri
the following year. In 1966, the Chiefs won their second AFL title and appeared in the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship game
. In 1969, the Chiefs won the final AFL title and went on to defeat the NFL's heavily-favored
Minnesota Vikings
in Super Bowl IV
. The Texans/Chiefs were the winningest franchise in AFL history, compiling an 87-48 record from 1960 to 1969. However, their victory on January 11, 1970 remains the franchise's only Super Bowl
title to date.
In 1959, Lamar Hunt
, son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, began discussions with other businessmen in establishing an American football organization that would rival that of the National Football League
. Since as early as 1958, Hunt had the interest of purchasing an NFL franchise and moving them to Dallas, Texas
. His desire to secure a professional football franchise was further heightened after watching the historic 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts
and the New York Giants
. The team that Hunt was most interested in buying was the Chicago Cardinals
.
The NFL convinced Hunt to contact Cardinals owner Violet Bidwill Wolfner
, and her husband Walter Wolfner eventually agreed to sell Hunt 20 percent of the Cardinals franchise. Hunt declined the opportunity. He then conceived the concept of forming a second league. “Why wouldn’t a second league work,” Hunt recalled. “There was an American
and National League
in baseball, why not football?” Hunt contacted several other individuals who had expressed interest in the Cardinals franchise—Bud Adams
, Bob Howsam
, Max Winter
and Bill Boyer—and gauged their interest in forming a second league.
On August 14, the first meeting of the new league was held in Chicago
. Charter memberships were issued to six original cities—Dallas, New York
, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles
and Minneapolis. The league was officially christened the American Football League on August 22. Ralph Wilson was extended the league’s seventh franchise
on October 28 and Billy Sullivan
became the league’s eighth team
's owner on November 22. Minneapolis withdrew its franchise from the AFL in November after receiving an offer for a team in the NFL, and Oakland, California
instead joined the AFL as the Oakland Raiders
.
, 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. 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.”
Reserved seats at the Cotton Bowl
cost USD $4, general admission USD $2 and high school students paid USD $.90 that initial season. Don Rossi served as the team’s General Manager
until November when he was succeeded by Jack Steadman
.
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.
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). 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.
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.
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.
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. Until a Christmas Day
playoff game in 1971
between the Chiefs
and Dolphins
, the game was the longest ever played.
, including Miami, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle, Washington and New Orleans, Louisiana. 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.
The negotiations in Kansas City were conducted in secrecy. 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."
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.
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
.
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. "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. A name also considered at the time for the team was the Kansas City Mules.
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."
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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
, 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
. 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 against the Boston Patriots 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. 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.
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).
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 champions
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. 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." 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
. 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. A victory parade ensued upon the club’s triumphant return the following day in downtown Kansas City
. As of 2011, Super Bowl IV
remains as the last championship won by the Chiefs.
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. 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 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.
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.
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. 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 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. 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.
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.
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. 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. 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 prestigious 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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
San Francisco 49ers
defensive coordinator Paul Wiggin
was named the second head coach in franchise history on January 23, 1975
. 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
. 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 homestretch 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
, 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.
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." The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards. 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
. 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. 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.
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. 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
.
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. 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.” 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.
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. 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.
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. 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 ("Give a Cheer for Kansas City"), but much like the team's Wing-T offense, the concept never really caught on.
In 1982
, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time. 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.
quarterbacks coach John Mackovic
was named the fifth head coach in team history on February 2. The 39-year-old Mackovic became the youngest individual ever to hold that post for the club. The Chiefs held the seventh overall pick in the quarterback-laden 1983 NFL Draft
and selected Todd Blackledge
. The five other signal-callers selected in the first round that year included John Elway
, Jim Kelly
, Tony Eason
, Ken O'Brien
and Dan Marino
.
Tragedy struck the club on June 29 when Joe Delaney drowned trying to save the lives of three youngsters in Monroe, Louisiana
. Delaney was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal by Ronald Reagan
on July 13. Linebacker Bobby Bell became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, providing some solace for the mourning Chiefs fan base following Joe Delaney's death.
With Kenney and Blackledge both on the roster, starting QB Steve Fuller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams
on August 19. Kenney earned a Pro Bowl berth after racking up a franchise-record 4,348 passing yards, while wide receiver Carlos Carson
hauled in 80 passes for 1,351 yards. Despite the team’s high-flying passing game, head coach John Mackovic had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Joe Delaney and the running back position. The highest scoring contest in franchise history took place as the Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks
combined for 99 points in a wild, 51-48 overtime loss at the Kingdome
. A meager crowd of 11,377 attended the club’s season-ending 48-17 win against Denver
on December 18, the smallest attendance figure ever for a Chiefs game at Arrowhead as the club finished the year at 6-10.
became the most notable Chiefs player to defect to the rival United States Football League
, signing with the New Jersey Generals
on February 2 after sitting out the entire 1983 campaign in a contract dispute. Barbaro's departure and the trade of cornerback Gary Green
began a youth movement that produced the most vaunted secondary in team history. Cornerbacks Kevin Ross and Albert Lewis
, and safeties Deron Cherry
and Lloyd Burruss
accounted for a combined 13 Pro Bowl appearances for the Chiefs in the years to come.
All-America defensive tackle Bill Maas
and offensive tackle John Alt
were both selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft
. Maas was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Alt eventually became the cornerstone of the club’s offensive line later in the decade. Kansas City’s defense registered a team-record 11.0 sacks in a 10-6 win against Cleveland on September 30, coming one sack shy of the NFL single-game record.
Quarterback Bill Kenney suffered a broken thumb during the preseason and was sidelined until the season’s seventh week. Second year back-up QB Todd Blackledge opened the first six contests of the season and had the club at 3-3. Kenney returned to the starting lineup against the New York Jets
on October 21, but inconsistency marked the rest of the season as the club dropped four of first five contests after his return. However, the team rattled off three consecutive wins to conclude the year at 8-8.
with a 47-27 win at New Orleans
, while safety Deron Cherry
tied an NFL record by registering four interceptions in a 28-7 win against Seattle
on September 29 as the club boasted a 3-1 record four games into the season. The club was then confronted with a seven-game losing streak that wasn’t snapped until QB Todd Blackledge was installed as the starter against Indianapolis
on November 24. The team rebounded to win three of its final five contests of the year with Blackledge under center, further inflaming a quarterback controversy that continued into the 1986 season.
One of the few remaining bright spots in a disappointing 6-10 season came in the regular season finale against San Diego
when wide receiver Stephone Paige
set an NFL record with 309 receiving yards in a 38-34 win, breaking the previous mark of 303 yards set by Cleveland's
Jim Benton in 1945
. Paige’s mark was subsequently surpassed by a 336-yard effort by Flipper Anderson
(L.A. Rams) in 1989
.
The defining moment of the season came in the regular season finale at Pittsburgh
on December 21. Despite being outgained in total yardage by a 515-to-171-yard margin, the Chiefs were able to notch a 24-19 victory as all of the team’s points came via special teams on a blocked punt return, a field goal, a kickoff return and a blocked field goal return. With a 10-6 record the Chiefs earned an AFC Wild Card berth, winning a tiebreaker with Seattle. Bill Kenney was injured in the fourth quarter of the Steelers contest, meaning Todd Blackledge would draw the starting assignment for the club’s first playoff contest since 1971, a 35-15 loss at New York
.
, resigned his position on January 7 in order to pursue opportunities as an NFL offensive coordinator. The following day, the Chiefs announced in an impromptu press conference that John Mackovic was relieved of his duties as head coach on January 8. A popular figure among Chiefs players, Gansz was reinstated on January 10 and was named the sixth head coach in franchise history.
Former quarterback Len Dawson became the third Chiefs player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, while injuries forced the retirement of the club’s all-time leading tackler Gary Spani. A duo of rookies made a splash in a 20-13 win on Opening Day against San Diego as running back Paul Palmer
returned a kickoff for a TD and Christian Okoye
dashed for 105 yards. A 24-day players strike began on September 22, effectively canceling the club’s contest against Minnesota
. Replacement players participated in games for the next three weeks. Much like Marv Levy five years earlier, Gansz’s grip on the club’s coaching reins was crippled by the labor unrest.
Kansas City’s replacement squad consisted primarily of players cut in training camp. One of the few bright spots among this motley crew was running back Jitter Fields, who remained on the active roster following the strike. The Chiefs strike squad received an ominous welcome in Los Angeles when in the early morning hours of October 4, the day prior to a contest against the Raiders, an earthquake rattled Southern California
. The shaken Chiefs lost a 35-17 decision later that day. The low point of the year came the following week at Miami in the first regular season game played at what then was known as Joe Robbie Stadium. Chiefs replacement QB Matt Stevens
was injured early in the contest, forcing into duty QB Alex Espinoza
, a player who had never taken an NFL snap. The result was a 42-0 Dolphins victory, setting the stage for an 0-3 performance by Kansas City’s replacement unit, giving the Chiefs a 1-4 record before the club’s regular roster returned at San Diego on October 25. Five straight losses followed, giving the Chiefs a team-record nine-game losing skid. For the only time in team history, five different players started games at quarterback for the club. Behind Kenney, Kansas City won two of its last three games to conclude the strike-shortened 4-11 campaign.
was acquired from Tampa Bay on March 31. The Chiefs moved up one spot in the first round of the draft to select defensive end Neil Smith
with the third overall pick. Bill Kenney opened the team’s initial two games at quarterback, but was replaced by DeBerg for the second half against Seattle. DeBerg guided the team to a 20-13 win against Denver
in his initial start as a member of the Chiefs. However, six losses and a tie followed as Kenney and DeBerg jostled for the QB job.
As the season drew to a close, it became apparent the winds of change were blowing across the organization. President Jack Steadman resigned on December 8, while general manager Jim Schaaf was relieved of his duties the same day. Steadman was later named Chairman of the Board. On the field, the Chiefs finished the year at 4-11-1 as questions swirled regarding Gansz’s future and who would fill the club’s leadership void. One day after the season’s conclusion, former Philadelphia Eagles
and USFL executive Carl Peterson
was named the club’s President/General Manager and Chief Operating Officer on December 19.
, 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. 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.
and guard Dave Szott
were acquired in the 1990 NFL Draft
. Construction began on the club’s indoor practice facility at the Truman Sports Complex, giving the Chiefs an 80-yard indoor field and weight room facilities upon its completion. Former defensive tackle Buck Buchanan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4. In the pre-season, The Chiefs made their initial overseas appearance, losing a 19-3 American Bowl
decision against the Los Angeles Rams
at Olympic Stadium
in Berlin
, Germany
. Schottenheimer’s club got out of the starting gate quickly, winning three of their first four games. The club then struggled, splitting its next six contests.
Free agent running back Barry Word
produced a team-record 200-yard rushing outburst in a 43-24 victory against Detroit
on October 14. Kansas City led the NFL with a franchise-record 60.0 sacks, including a team-record 20.0 by Derrick Thomas. Thomas established an NFL single-game record with 7.0 sacks in an inspiring Veterans Day
performance against Seattle
, a game the Seahawks miraculously won, 17-16, on a last-second, 25-yard TD pass to wide receiver Paul Skansi
. That loss brought on the furious stretch run which saw the club record victories in six of its last seven outings. Behind DeBerg’s offensive leadership (23 TD passes with just four interceptions) Kansas City finished the year with a franchise-best +26 turnover differential. The Chiefs clinched their first post-season berth since 1986 with a 24-21 win at San Diego and finished the year at 11-5, marking the franchise’s best finish since 1969. The Chiefs suffered a heart-breaking, 17-16 loss at Miami on January 5, 1991 in an AFC Wild Card Game as placekicker Nick Lowery’s potential game-winning 52-yard field goal fell short with 0:56 remaining.
in Liberty, Missouri
. On September 1, the Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons
14-3 in front of a sold-out crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs were featured on Monday Night Football three times, including a 33-6 victory over the defending AFC Champion Buffalo Bills
before a raucous crowd at Arrowhead on October 7, marking the club’s first home Monday Night Football contest in eight years. The club finished the regular season at 10-6, marking the first time since 1968-69 that the franchise had qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons. A 27-21 victory against the Los Angeles Raiders
in the regular season finale gave the Chiefs the right to host the Raiders just six days later in the inaugural post-season game in Arrowhead’s history, and the Chiefs' first home playoff game in 20 years. Thanks to six Los Angeles turnovers, the Chiefs registered their first post-season victory since Super Bowl IV with a 10-6 win in an AFC Wild Card Game on December 28. The following week, the Chiefs lost a 37-14 decision at Buffalo on January 5, 1992 in an AFC Divisional Playoff match-up as the Buffalo Bills' dynamic offense proved to be too much for the Chiefs.
was signed as the club’s starter on March 19. A melancholy off-season awaited the Chiefs, who mourned the passing of Player Personnel Director Whitey Dovell on May 22 and Hall of Fame defensive tackle Buck Buchanan on July 16. Both Dovell and Buchanan lost courageous battles with cancer. Six-time Pro Bowl safety Deron Cherry announced his retirement in July after registering 50 interceptions in 11 seasons with the franchise. The Chiefs retired the jerseys of former players Buck Buchanan (#86), Willie Lanier (#63) and Jan Stenerud (#3) in a ceremony prior to a pre-season contest against Buffalo.
First-round draft pick, cornerback Dale Carter
won the Bert Bell Trophy as the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. The very first time Carter touched the ball in an NFL contest, he registered a 46-yard punt return touchdown in a 24-10 win at San Diego
on September 6. Running back Christian Okoye surpassed Ed Podolak as the all-time leading rusher in team history against Seattle
on September 13. Injuries eventually made the 1992 campaign Okoye’s last with the Chiefs after he compiled 4,897 rushing yards with the franchise. The club got off to a 3-1 start, but was faced with a 4-4 record at the season’s midpoint. Despite four consecutive victories, the club’s post-season hopes still came down to the season’s final contest. Owning a 9-6 record and needing one more victory to secure a playoff berth, the Chiefs defense tallied three touchdowns, while Dave Krieg tossed a pair of scoring passes as Kansas City claimed a 42-20 win against Denver to finish the season at 10-6. Despite the big win against Denver
, the Chiefs made a quick exit from the playoffs as Krieg was sacked 7 times in a 17-0 AFC Wild Card loss at San Diego
on January 2, 1993.
" under the direction of new offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who at one time served as quarterbacks coach to Joe Montana
in San Francisco. On April 20, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, who directed the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories in the previous decade. Guard Will Shields
was selected with the club’s third-round draft choice, rounding out the “law firm” of Grunhard, Szott and Shields which anchored the interior of Chiefs offensive line for most of the decade.
On June 9, the club signed unrestricted free agent running back Marcus Allen
, who had spent 11 seasons tormenting the Chiefs as a member of the rival Los Angeles Raiders. Montana and Allen made their debuts in a 27-3 win at Tampa Bay
on September 5, marking Montana’s first Opening Day appearance since 1990. Shields initiated a franchise-record streak of 175 consecutive starts the following week at Houston
. Thanks to a pair of Monday Night Football wins at Arrowhead, the club owned a 6-2 mid-season record. Before taking the field in a Sunday night contest at Minnesota
on December 26, the team learned it had clinched its first AFC West title since 1971 thanks to a Raiders loss earlier in the day. The team finished the season with an 11-5 regular season record, marking the club’s fourth consecutive year with a double-digit victory tally. Linebacker Derrick Thomas was named the NFL’s Man of the Year following the season. Thomas, who founded “The Third and Long Foundation,” received the honor in large part due to his efforts in promoting children’s literacy.
Kansas City got its first true taste of "Montana Magic" as the Hall of Fame passer engineered a brilliant comeback in a 27-24 OT win in an AFC Wild Card thriller against Pittsburgh
on January 8, 1994. Next, the Chiefs traveled to the Astrodome to face the red-hot Oilers, whom had won 11 straight games to conclude the regular season. The heavily-favored Oilers opened up a 13-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but once again, Montana conjured a comeback, guiding the club to a 28-20 victory. The Chiefs playoff journey ended as the club made its initial AFC Championship Game
appearance at Buffalo on January 23. Montana was knocked out of the contest early in the second half as Buffalo claimed its record fourth straight AFC title by a score of 30-13.
was acquired in a trade with San Francisco on May 2 to serve as Joe Montana’s backup, a job he previously held when both were with the 49ers. A grass playing field was installed at Arrowhead Stadium, replacing the previous AstroTurf
surface. The club made its second American Bowl appearance in the pre-season, meeting Minnesota
in Tokyo, Japan.
On September 11, Steve Young and the San Francisco 49ers
came to Arrowhead to play against Joe Montana and the Chiefs in a highly anticipated matchup. The Chiefs prevailed over the 49ers and Montana’s successor by a 24-17 count before a crowd of 79,907, the second-largest “in-house” attendance in Arrowhead history. After starting the season 3-0, the Chiefs dropped back-to-back games before snapping an 11-game losing streak against Denver
at Mile High Stadium on October 17 in a memorable Monday night contest. Montana orchestrated a masterful comeback, connecting with WR Willie Davis for a five-yard TD with 0:08 remaining to give the Chiefs a 31-28 triumph. A late-season, three-game losing skid put the club’s playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Chiefs found themselves at 8-7 faced with a do-or-die regular season finale against the Raiders
in the final NFL contest (to date) played at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Marcus Allen had his finest game as a Chief, ironically against his former team, rushing 33 times for 132 yards en route to a 19-9 win. At 9-7, Kansas City qualified for the playoffs for a fifth straight season. However, the Chiefs made a rapid departure from the playoffs in Montana’s final professional contest at Miami on New Year's Eve
. Montana and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino conducted a masterful first-half duel that ended deadlocked at 17-17, but Miami
eventually prevailed by a 27-17 count.
on October 9, wide receiver Tamarick Vanover
returned a punt for an 86-yard TD to provide the winning points in a 29-23 victory, the team’s third straight home win in overtime.
The club’s defense began to flex its muscle, beginning with a 21-7 win at Denver on October 22. The contest, played in a Rocky Mountain snowstorm, featured the 100th rushing TD of Marcus Allen’s career. The Chiefs won a home game for the third time on a last-second return score that concluded in Arrowhead’s west end zone when cornerback Mark Collins
scooped up a fumble for a 20-13 win against Houston
. Kansas City clinched a division title with a 29-23 victory at Oakland
on December 3 en route to a franchise-best 13-3 regular season record and a team-record sixth consecutive postseason berth. The Chiefs were represented by seven players in the Pro Bowl, more than any other AFC team. In the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the underdog Indianapolis Colts
on January 7—a blustery afternoon with the temperature at 11 degrees and a wind chill of -9. Three interceptions and three missed field goals from placekicker Lin Elliot
contributed to the 10-7 loss at Arrowhead.
along with Green Bay as pre-season Super Bowl favorites. Kansas City made its third American Bowl appearance, this time against Dallas
in Monterrey, Mexico. The club started the season with a 4-0 record for the first time in team history, but the season’s lofty expectations came crashing down as the squad lost three of its next four games. A three-game winning streak, including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion
Packers
, put the club back in post-season contention at 8-3.
That rosy picture quickly crumbled in a 28-14 loss against San Diego on November 24 as Steve Bono was relieved in the second half by back-up quarterback Rich Gannon
. Gannon assumed the starting reins for a 28-24 win in a Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit
as Marcus Allen registered his 111th career rushing TD to surpass Walter Payton
as the NFL’s all-time leader in that department, a mark that was later broken by Emmitt Smith
. Needing just one more win to qualify for the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped their next two games as an injury-hampered Gannon was sidelined for good in the second quarter of a 24-19 loss against Indianapolis
. Faced with a must-win situation in a frigid regular season finale at Buffalo, the club’s post-season hopes hinged on Bono. Despite a 20-9 loss to the Bills
, the Chiefs still had a shot to slip into the playoffs if Atlanta could secure a win at Jacksonville. However, Atlanta placekicker Morten Andersen
’s 30-yard field goal attempt went wide left with 0:04 remaining, preserving a 19-17 win and the AFC’s final Wild Card spot for the Jaguars
, who won a tiebreaker with Kansas City. The Chiefs finished with a 9-7 record, missing the postseason for the first time since 1989.
, who won team MVP honors after becoming the club’s first Pro Bowl receiver in a decade. On defense, the club’s top four picks from the 1996 Draft, safeties Jerome Woods
and Reggie Tongue
, defensive end John Browning
and linebacker Donnie Edwards
, all emerged as starters.
Tackle John Alt
announced his retirement at training camp in River Falls, WI on July 21. All the new faces quickly formed a cohesive unit as the Chiefs posted a 13-3 record, an 8-0 Arrowhead record and their second AFC West title in three years. The club engineered several dramatic finishes, the first of which came in a Monday Night Football thriller at Oakland on September 8 when Elvis Grbac connected with Andre Rison on an improbable 32-yard TD pass with just 0:03 remaining to cap a 28-27 win. Six days later, Kansas City’s defense produced a remarkable goal-line stand to preserve a 22-16 victory at Arrowhead vs. Buffalo
. After posting a 6-2 record during the season’s first half, Kansas City’s good fortune appeared to run out against Pittsburgh when Grbac suffered a broken clavicle. However, Rich Gannon led the team to a 5-1 mark in their next six outings.
Placekicker Pete Stoyanovich
provided one of the year’s most memorable moments, connecting on a line-drive 54-yard field as time expired to give Kansas City a 24-22 win against Denver on November 16. San Francisco
entered Arrowhead boasting an 11-game winning streak, the team departed after suffering a 44-9 defeat. The Chiefs' vaunted defensive unit pitched a 30-0 shutout vs. Oakland on December 7. The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring defense, allowing a mere 14.5 points per game. The 232 total points permitted by the Chiefs in 1997 were the lowest tally ever allowed in a 16-game season in team history. Kansas City also broke a 63-year-old mark owned by the 1934
Detroit Lions
by not permitting a second-half TD in 10 consecutive games. Grbac returned for the regular season finale against New Orleans
on December 21 as the squad finished the year with six consecutive victories, a first in team history.
. Marty Schottenheimer took much of the blame for his failed attempts in the playoffs and conservative style of coaching ("Martyball"), and resigned following the 1998 season.
. In two years, Cunningham showed little improvement, going 9-7 and 7-9. After the loss of Derrick Thomas
, the collapse of the defense was unmistakable. The Chiefs' wins were mostly made by a high scoring offense rather than a powerful defense.
to the Super Bowl
and retiring, Dick Vermeil
was lured out of retirement and took over as head coach in 2001
. It was noted that Vermeil would have the team ready for the Super Bowl "within three years," while in fact Vermail would stay in Kansas City for the next five.
The first move the team made was forced after quarterback Elvis Grbac voided his contract, forgoing an 11 million dollar bonus, leaving to lead the Super Bowl champion
Baltimore Ravens
. Vermeil replaced him with his primary pick for the Rams' quarterback, Trent Green
.
Another notable replacement was Priest Holmes
at running back, who had served as back-up to Baltimore's Jamal Lewis
in their Super Bowl season. Additions to the offensive line, including left tackle Willie Roaf
from New Orleans, Casey Wiegemann at center, Brian Waters at guard, and John Welbourn
from Philadelphia helped create the Chiefs' high powered offense. Holmes would go on to break Marshall Faulk
's record of 26 touchdowns in a season on December 27, 2003.
Vermeil brought many elements of "The Greatest Show on Turf
" from St. Louis to Kansas City's own offense, but much like the Schottenheimer era in the 1990s, the offense didn't win any playoff games.
and their offense, considered by many as one of the most powerful of all time, helped make Kansas City again a favorite to win Super Bowl XXXIX
. After starting 9-0, the Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals
in their tenth game following a "guarantee" by Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. The Chiefs' dream season of 2003 began to lose momentum by November, but they still managed to gain the number two seed in the 2004 playoffs
. The mighty homefield advantage of Arrowhead Stadium and their high-powered offense wouldn't lead the Chiefs to glory and the Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts
in the AFC Divisional playoffs in an offensive shootout in which neither team punted, an NFL playoffs first. The Chiefs' defense came under fire immediately after the loss, and Greg Robinson
, the team's defensive coordinator, resigned after the season.
with a 7-9 record. In 2004, Gunther Cunningham was brought back as the defensive coordinator. However, the defense showed little improvement. The offense, unable to record the same high scores as the previous year, was unable to bring in the wins as they had the previous year.
. But despite winning ten games, the Chiefs became just the fourth team in NFL history to go 10-6 and not reach the playoffs.
announced his retirement before the final game of the 2005 season
. Within two weeks, then-New York Jets
head coach Herm Edwards
had signed a new 4-year contract to coach the Chiefs. The 2006 Chiefs returned to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, only to lose 23-8 in the Wild Card round against their playoff nemesis, the Indianapolis Colts
.
Meanwhile, Chiefs owner and founder Lamar Hunt
died on December 13, 2006 due to complications brought on by a ten-year battle with prostate cancer
. Hunt was remembered throughout the remainder of the 2006 season
all throughout the NFL with moments of silence and ceremonies in Kansas City.
in Kansas City. Backup quarterback Damon Huard
was signed to a three-year contract in February and Green was not only asked to restructure his contract but offered in trades to other teams.
On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins
for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
, pending a physical from Green. The pick can be upgraded to a fourth-rounder if Green reaches certain predetermined playing time and performance levels.
The Chiefs' 2007 training camp was documented in the HBO/NFL Films
documentary
reality television
series, Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs The series premiered on August 8, 2007.
After a strong 4-3 start, the Chiefs' offensive woes slowed the team down. Five different running backs were used after Larry Johnson was injured in week 9 against Green Bay
. The team also had no stability at quarterback with Croyle and Huard, while their offensive line depleted in the absence of their former Pro Bowl guard Will Shields
.
The season ended with a nine game losing streak, the team's first since 1987
and a 4-12 record. It was the Chiefs' first season with twelve losses since 1978
.
Head coach Herman Edwards continued to build upon the Chiefs' roster with young players, mostly on defense, and attempted stabilize a once record-setting offensive line. The Chiefs continue to rebuild a defense that may quietly creep its way back to respectability.
To honor their late owner Lamar Hunt, the Chiefs wore a special American Football League
patch on their uniforms with the initials "LH" emblazoned inside the logo's football.
was hit in the leg by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, tearing his ACL and removing him from action for the rest of the year. Other than that, there was little else of note about the season, which saw Kansas City fall to a franchise-worst 2-14 record.
During the next offseason, the team made news by acquiring quarterback Matt Cassel (who had filled in for Tom Brady during the previous year) and veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England for a second-round draft pick, which was used to obtain LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs were also awarded the 256th and last player in the draft for the first time since 1970, South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop. Also, Scott Pioli
was hired as general manager, yet another acquisition from New England.
There was little apparent sign of improvement as the Chiefs began 2009 by losing five games in a row before a victory over the Redskins in Week 6. The team did manage to inflict an overtime defeat on the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh in Week 11 however, and closed out the year with a 4-12 record by overpowering Denver and preventing that team from going to the playoffs.
The Chiefs got off to a 3-0 start in 2010 by beating San Diego 21-14 on Monday Night Football. This was their first MNF win in a decade, in addition to their first home win over the Chargers since 2006. They followed up the next week with a 16-14 win in Cleveland, followed by a 31-10 thrashing of the 49ers at home. The Chiefs entered their bye week as the only remaining undefeated team, but as most experts predicted, fell to Indianapolis 19-9 in Week 5. They lost a close match with the Texans (35-31) in Week 6, beat Jacksonville in Week 7, and then won a razor-thin game with the winless Bills. After going into overtime with a 10-10 score, neither team was able to score anything until Ryan Succop kicked a 35-yard FG just as the clock reached 0:00 and avoiding a tie. Then came losses to Oakland and Denver, three straight wins over the latter, Seattle, and Arizona, a loss in San Diego, and wins over St. Louis and Tennessee. Losing the final game at home versus Oakland, the Chiefs finished 10-6 and won their first division title since 2003. However, the team's lack of postseason experience showed up as they were buried 30-7 by the Ravens in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Kansas City began 2011 on an extremely unpromising note as they were buried 41-7 by Buffalo for their worst home loss since 1976. Another catastrophe followed in Week 2 as Detroit won 48-3 and inflicted a season-ending knee injury on RB Jamaal Charles
. The Chiefs found themselves at 0-3 after losing 20-17 to San Diego. With their season hanging by a thread, they beat the also-winless Vikings 22-17 in Week 4. After beating Indianapolis (another winless team), they shut out the Raiders in Oakland 28-0. Despite their terrible start, the Chiefs now reached .500 and second behind San Diego in the AFC West.
Len Dawson
and Joe Montana
, as well as quarterbacks like Trent Green
.
In the past few decades, the Chiefs have relied on veteran quarterbacks to lead their team. The last quarterback to be drafted by Kansas City that later went on to claim the starting position was Bill Kenney
in 1980
. Since Kenney's retirement in 1988
. the Chiefs never drafted their own quarterback to develop until Brodie Croyle
, whom started some games in 2007 and 2008, was drafted in 2006
. When head coach Herman Edwards
arrived in 2006
, he stated that he was looking towards implementing younger players into his gameplan, and he was arguably looking to start at the quarterback position. The Chiefs acquired Matt Cassel
in a trade with the New England Patriots in the 2009 offseason after a breakout performance with the Patriots in 2008 in place of the injured Tom Brady
. Cassel is widely expected to be the team's franchise quarterback and is an intricate part of the teams current rebuilding process.
The Chiefs have also had a repeated history of backup quarterbacks that steal the spotlight. Mike Livingston
led the Chiefs to the playoffs in their 1969 season after starting quarterback Len Dawson
was injured for the majority of the year. Most recently, Rich Gannon
took over for the injured Elvis Grbac
in the 1997 season
, but was revoked of the job in favor of Grbac's return for the playoffs. The Chiefs lost in the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion
Denver Broncos
. A similar incident occurred in the 2006 season and playoffs when Trent Green
and the Chiefs' offense failed to get a first down in the first forty-two minutes of the game. Backup quarterback Damon Huard
, whom led the Chiefs on a 5-2 record in Green's absence, never played a down in the playoff loss to—coincidentally—the eventual Super Bowl champion
Indianapolis Colts
.
† = Interim head coach
‡ = As of the end of the 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, a professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
franchise that began play in 1960 as the Dallas Texans. The team was a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL), and now is currently part of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL).
The Texans won the AFL Championship in 1962, and the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
the following year. In 1966, the Chiefs won their second AFL title and appeared in the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship game
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
. In 1969, the Chiefs won the final AFL title and went on to defeat the NFL's heavily-favored
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
. The Texans/Chiefs were the winningest franchise in AFL history, compiling an 87-48 record from 1960 to 1969. However, their victory on January 11, 1970 remains the franchise's only Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
title to date.
AFL origins
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
, son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, began discussions with other businessmen in establishing an American football organization that would rival that of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Since as early as 1958, Hunt had the interest of purchasing an NFL franchise and moving them to Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. His desire to secure a professional football franchise was further heightened after watching the historic 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts
1958 Baltimore Colts season
The 1958 Baltimore Colts season was the 6th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1958 season with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses and finished first in the Western Conference....
and the New York Giants
1958 New York Giants season
The 1958 New York Giants season was the 34th season for the club in the National Football League.-Transactions:*The Giants obtained Lindon Crow and Pat Summerall from the Chicago Cardinals in exchange for Dick Nolan, Bobby Joe Conrad, and the Giants first round pick.*The Giants acquired Carl...
. The team that Hunt was most interested in buying was the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The NFL convinced Hunt to contact Cardinals owner Violet Bidwill Wolfner
Violet Bidwill Wolfner
Violet Bidwill Wolfner was owner of the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from 1947 to 1962. She inherited the team when her husband, longtime Cardinals owner Charles Bidwill, died before the 1947 season...
, and her husband Walter Wolfner eventually agreed to sell Hunt 20 percent of the Cardinals franchise. Hunt declined the opportunity. He then conceived the concept of forming a second league. “Why wouldn’t a second league work,” Hunt recalled. “There was an American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in baseball, why not football?” Hunt contacted several other individuals who had expressed interest in the Cardinals franchise—Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
, Bob Howsam
Bob Howsam
Robert Lee Howsam was an executive in American professional sport who, in 1959, played a key role in establishing two leagues — the American Football League, which succeeded and merged with the National Football League, and baseball's Continental League, which never played a game but forced...
, Max Winter
Max Winter
Max Winter was a Minneapolis businessman and sport executive. Winter was born in Austria-Hungary and his family emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Winter graduated from high school in 1922...
and Bill Boyer—and gauged their interest in forming a second league.
On August 14, the first meeting of the new league was held in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Charter memberships were issued to six original cities—Dallas, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Minneapolis. The league was officially christened the American Football League on August 22. Ralph Wilson was extended the league’s seventh franchise
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 28 and Billy Sullivan
Billy Sullivan (American football)
William Hallissey "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. was an American businessman who owned the Boston Patriots franchise from their inception in the American Football League until their sale, as the New England Patriots of the NFL, to Victor Kiam in 1988.-Early life:Sullivan was born in Lowell, Massachusetts...
became the league’s eighth team
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
's owner on November 22. Minneapolis withdrew its franchise from the AFL in November after receiving an offer for a team in the NFL, and Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
instead joined the AFL as the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years in Dallas
For the Texans' inaugural season1960 Dallas Texans season
The 1960 Dallas Texans season was the inaugural season of Lamar Hunt’s American Football League franchise from Dallas, Texas. Head coach Hank Stram led the team to an 8–6 record and second place in the AFL’s Western Conference....
, team owner Lamar Hunt pursued both legendary University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
and New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive assistant Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
to lead his Texans franchise. Wilkinson opted to stay at Oklahoma, while Landry was destined to coach the NFL’s franchise in Dallas. In Mid-December 1959 Hunt settled on a relatively unknown assistant coach from the University of Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
. “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.”
Reserved seats at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
cost USD $4, general admission USD $2 and high school students paid USD $.90 that initial season. Don Rossi served as the team’s General Manager
General Manager (American football)
In the National Football League, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract discussions with players....
until November when he was succeeded by Jack Steadman
Jack Steadman
Jack W. Steadman is the former chairman, vice president, president and general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League....
.
The Texans conducted their inaugural training camp at the New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...
in Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
. The club embarked on a whirlwind pre-season barnstorming
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
tour that featured road games in Oakland, Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
and Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. An announced crowd of 51,000 at the Cotton Bowl witnessed a 24-3 victory against Houston
1960 Houston Oilers season
Houston Oilers 24, Los Angeles Chargers 16Scoring*LA – Field goal Agajanian 38 LA 3–0*LA – Field goal Agajanian 22 LA 6–0*HOU – Smith 17 pass from Blanda HOU 7–6*HOU – Field goal Blanda 18 HOU 10–6*LA – Field goal Agajanian 27 HOU 10–9...
on September 2 as the club concluded a perfect 6-0 preseason record.
In their early years, the Texans had a strong home-state identity with quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Cotton Davidson
Cotton Davidson
Francis Marion Davidson , known by his nickname "Cotton" Davidson, was an American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback...
from Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
, linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Sherrill Headrick
Sherrill Headrick
Sherrill Headrick was an American college and Professional Football player from Texas Christian University.In 1960, Headrick came to the American Football League's Dallas Texans as an undrafted linebacker...
from TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
and running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Abner Haynes
Abner Haynes
Abner Haynes is a former college and professional football player in the United States.Haynes is a graduate of North Texas State University where he and his then teammate Leon King integrated college football in the state of Texas in 1956...
from North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
. 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). 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.
In 1961
1961 Dallas Texans season
The 1961 Dallas Texans season resulted in a 6–8 record and 2nd place finish in the AFL Western Conference.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...
, the Texans and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys both drafted linebacker E.J. Holub from Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, 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
Fred Arbanas
Frederick Vincent Arbanas is an American former college and professional football player. Drafted out of Michigan State by the American Football League's Dallas Texans in 1961, he missed the 1961 season with injuries...
and Jim Tyrer
Jim Tyrer
James Efflo Tyrer was an American football offensive tackle in the American Football League for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
—as part of the club’s draft class. The club moved its training camp to Lamar Hunt’s alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
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
1961 San Diego Chargers season
The 1961 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 10–4 record in 1960. It was their first season in San Diego where they have remained ever since. Like the previous season, it ended with a loss in the AFL Championship game....
in the AFL Western Conference standings.
In 1962
1962 Dallas Texans season
The 1962 Dallas Texans season was the final season of Lamar Hunt’s American Football League franchise before its relocation to Kansas City, Missouri from Dallas, Texas....
, head coach Hank Stram was named AFL Coach of the Year and running back Curtis McClinton
Curtis McClinton
Curtis McClinton is a former collegiate and professional American football player.McClinton attended Wichita High School North in Wichita, Kansas before attending the University of Kansas. A three-time All-Big Eight selection as a Jayhawk, McClinton led the team in rushing in 1959 and rushed for...
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.
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
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Tommy Brooker
Tommy Brooker
William Thomas “Tommy” Brooker is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player....
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
1962 Houston Oilers season
Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 Scoring*DAL – Field goal Brooker 16*DAL – Haynes 28 pass from Dawson *DAL – Haynes 2 run *HOU – Dewveall 15 pass from Blanda *HOU – Field goal Blanda 31...
. Spanning an elapsed time of 77:54, the game stands as the third-longest contest in pro football history. Until a Christmas Day
National Football League Christmas games
The National Football League occasionally schedules matchups on Christmas, December 25 or Christmas Eve, December 24.Unlike their November holiday counterparts, the Thanksgiving Classic games, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve games in the National Football League are not a regular annual part of the...
playoff game in 1971
NFL playoffs, 1971-72
The NFL playoffs following the 1971 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VI. Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road...
between the Chiefs
1971 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season saw the club bounce back from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966...
and Dolphins
1971 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:- Standings : -Roster:-Scoring summary:*Dallas Mike Clark, FG 14 yds *Dallas L.Alworth, 9 yd pass from Staubach *Miami Yeprmeniam, FG 23 yds...
, the game was the longest ever played.
The move to Kansas City
After three seasons in Dallas, Texas, it was apparent that Dallas couldn’t support two teams. Hunt investigated opportunities to move his team to several cities for the 1963 season1963 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1963 Kansas City Chiefs season was the inaugural season of Kansas City’s new football franchise. Despite winning the 1962 AFL Championship the previous year, the Chiefs finished the year 5–7–2 and third in their division....
, including Miami, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle, Washington and New Orleans, Louisiana. Hunt wanted to find a city to which he could commute easily from Dallas, and when he was unable to secure Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
because the university
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
didn’t want its football program
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
to compete with a pro team, he turned to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, where Mayor H. Roe Bartle persuaded him to move to the Midwest.
The negotiations in Kansas City were conducted in secrecy. 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."
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
Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)
Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City, Missouri. It hosted the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association from 1923 to 1954 and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues during the same period...
, 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.
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
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
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. "The Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
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. A name also considered at the time for the team was the Kansas City Mules.
The name, "Chiefs" is not only derived from a fan contest, but also from Mayor Bartle, who 35 years prior, founded the Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
-based honor society known as The Tribe of Mic-O-Say
Tribe of Mic-O-Say
The Tribe of Mic-O-Say is an honor society used by two of the 303 local councils of the Boy Scouts of America, The Heart of America Council and The Pony Express Council; it is not a program of the National Council of the BSA...
within the Boy Scouts of America
Scouting in Missouri
Scouting in Missouri has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :According to William D...
organization, which earned him the nickname, "The Chief."
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
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The first appearance of the Chiefs in Municipal Stadium attracted just 5,721 fans for a 17-13 pre-season victory against Buffalo
1963 Buffalo Bills season
The 1963 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s fourth season in the American Football League.-Season schedule:-Postseason:-Season standings:-Roster:-References:**...
on August 9.
The Chiefs' inaugural season in Kansas City began with owner Lamar Hunt’s trade of starting quarterback Cotton Davidson
Cotton Davidson
Francis Marion Davidson , known by his nickname "Cotton" Davidson, was an American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback...
to the Oakland Raiders, which landed the number one overall selection in the AFL Draft (which they used to select Buck Buchanan
Buck Buchanan
Junious "Buck" Buchanan was an American collegiate and professional Football defensive tackle. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League and in the National Football League ....
). Ironically, the Raiders would later select Gene Upshaw
Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
in 1967 for the express purpose of blocking Buchanan. The Chiefs also selected guard Ed Budde
Ed Budde
Edward Leon Budde , a product of Denby High School in Detroit, Michigan and later Michigan State University, was the number one draft pick of the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in 1963....
from Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
with their other first round pick, and Bobby Bell
Bobby Bell
Bobby Lee Bell, Sr is a former professional American football linebacker/defensive end. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and was a member of the Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings.- High school career :He excelled in...
from Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
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.
Tragedy struck the club when rookie running back Stone Johnson
Stone Johnson
Stone Johnson was an Olympic sprinting athlete and American football kick returner/running back for the Kansas City Chiefs....
, who was a sprinter in the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck in a pre-season game against Oakland
1963 Oakland Raiders season
The 1963 Oakland Raiders season began with the team trying to improve on their 1–13 record from 1962. The 1963 season was the fourth season in Oakland and in the six American Football Leagues. Al Davis took over as head coach and introduced new silver and black uniforms instead of the previous gold...
on August 30 in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. He died 10 days later on September 8 and his jersey number 33 was subsequently retired. 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, 1964-69
In 19641964 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1964 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–7 record and no postseason appearance. 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...
, 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
Fred Arbanas
Frederick Vincent Arbanas is an American former college and professional football player. Drafted out of Michigan State by the American Football League's Dallas Texans in 1961, he missed the 1961 season with injuries...
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
Mack Lee Hill
Mack Lee Hill was an American college and professional football player. He played running back at Southern University and for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons , before dying while undergoing knee surgery, days after a game against the Buffalo Bills.He made the...
, 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
1964 San Diego Chargers season
The 1964 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to repeat as AFL champions having won in 1963 with a recourd of 11–3.-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-See also:*1964 AFL season...
. 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.
For the 1965 season
1965 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1965 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–5–2 record and no postseason appearance.For the 1965 season, the Chiefs were 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...
, 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
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
from the University of Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
their first-round draft pick, but Sayers eventually signed with the Bears for less money. Running back Mack Lee Hill
Mack Lee Hill
Mack Lee Hill was an American college and professional football player. He played running back at Southern University and for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons , before dying while undergoing knee surgery, days after a game against the Buffalo Bills.He made the...
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
Embolism
In medicine, an embolism is the event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel of an arterial bed which causes a blockage in a distant part of the body.Embolization is...
." 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
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 19 to finish the year with a 7-5-2 record.
In 1966
1966 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1966 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with the Chiefs' second AFL Championship and first since their relocation to Kansas City, Missouri. Instead of finishing the season with the AFL Championship win, the Chiefs were invited to play in the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later known...
, 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
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
about a possible merger of the two leagues. Defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Aaron Brown was highly coveted by many clubs, including the NFL’s Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, 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
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winning running back Mike Garrett
Mike Garrett
Michael Lockett Garrett is a former American collegiate and professional football player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy as a tailback for the University of Southern California Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers...
in the 20th round of the 1966 AFL Draft. Garrett went on to earn AFL Rookie of the Year honors for the 1966 season.
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
1966 Buffalo Bills season
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7The Bills went into the 1966 AFL Championship having already won the game the previous two years. Though the game was to be played in Buffalo, the visiting Kansas City Chiefs were three-point favorites, mainly because of their explosive and innovative offense...
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
Joe Collier
Joel D. Collier is a former American football coach. He was head coach of the American Football League's Buffalo Bills from 1966 through part of 1968, compiiling a 13–16–1 record....
negotiated a trade in the middle of the field. Kansas City received placekicker Mike Mercer
Mike Mercer (American football)
Michael Mercer is a former American football kicker and punter who played for six teams from . In the American Football League, he played for the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills...
for a fifth-round pick. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
led the league in passing, while Otis Taylor
Otis Taylor (American football)
Otis Taylor was an American college and professional American football player, for Prairie View A&M University and the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs...
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.
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
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, 1967. That victory propelled Kansas City to the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
, later known as the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, the Chiefs met Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
’s powerful Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
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.
For 1967
1967 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1967 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9–5 record and no playoff berth despite their AFL championship win and appearance in the inaugural AFL-NFL championship game the previous year....
, the club’s special teams got a boost with the addition of kicker Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud
Jan Stenerud is a former professional football player for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs , and the NFL's Chiefs , Green Bay Packers , and Minnesota Vikings .-Background:...
, and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
Noland "Super Gnat" Smith
Noland Smith
Noland "Super Gnat" Smith is a former American football wide receiver/return specialist for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League.-College career:Smith played college football at Tennessee A&I University where he...
. The Chiefs' first regular season game against an NFL team resulted in a commanding 66-24 Chiefs victory against the Chicago Bears
1967 Chicago Bears season
The 1967 Chicago Bears season was their 48th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 7-6-1 record, earning them a second place finish in the newly formed Central Division within the NFL's Western Conference. 1967 also marked the final season with George Halas,...
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.
Interest in the team skyrocketed following the team's appearance in the AFL-NFL Championship Game, forcing an increase in seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
at Municipal Stadium from 40,000 to 47,000. In June, Jackson County
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
voters approved a $43 million bond issue for construction of a sports complex 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
1968 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1968 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 12–2 record, resulting in a tie for first place in the AFL Western Division. The Chiefs and Oakland Raiders both finished with 12–2 records in the same division, but the Raiders won the championship in a tiebreaker playoff .A debate raged in Kansas...
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
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
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
1968 Oakland Raiders season
-Staff:HC: John RauchAst: John Polonchek , Ollie Spencer , Tom Dahms , John Madden , Charlie Sumner , Marv Marinovich -References:...
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
1968 New York Jets season
The 1968 New York Jets season was the ninth season for the team in the American Football League . The team had the most successful season in franchise history. Trying to improve upon their 8–5–1 record in 1967, they won the AFL Eastern Division with an 11–3 record...
. 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
1969 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 11–3 record and a 23–7 victory in Super Bowl IV over the NFL’s heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings. The team beat their rivals, the Oakland Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game, claiming their third AFL Championship in franchise history...
. 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 against the Boston Patriots 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
1969 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1969 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 2nd year in professional football.Paul Brown drafted quarterback Greg Cook of the Univ. of Cincinnati in the first round.The same draft also produced linebacker Bill Bergey....
on September 28. That injury left the team’s most crucial position in the hands of second-year quarterback Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback. He played professionally for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in 1968-1969, and for the NFL Chiefs from 1970 to 1979...
, who took just five snaps as a rookie in 1968. 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
Bill Grigsby
William W. "Bill" Grigsby was an American sportscaster and member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Grigsby was best known for his work with the Kansas City Chiefs.-Personal life:...
. The Chiefs and Houston Oilers
1969 Houston Oilers season
The 1969 Houston Oilers season was their tenth and final in the American Football League before moving to the National Football League when the two merged. The team equaled their 1968 record of 7–7 , finishing 6–6–2. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the Divisional Round to the Oakland...
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.
The Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos
1969 Denver Broncos season
The 1969 season was the Denver Broncos 10th and final season in the American Football League. They finished the regular season with a record of 5–8–1, and went 4th in the AFL West for the seventh straight season.-Division standings: -Regular season:-Roster:...
31-17 on Thanksgiving Day. Trailing 24-17 late in the game, Denver attempted an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
that was recovered by linebacker Bobby Bell, who promptly returned that kick for a 53-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. 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
1969 Oakland Raiders season
Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 7-Scoring Summary:*OAK – Smith 3 run *KC – Haynes 1 run *KC – Holmes 5 run *KC – Field goal Stenerud 22-Awards and honors:* Daryle Lamonica, Co-AFL MVP...
(12-1-1).
In an AFL Divisional Playoff Game at New York
1969 New York Jets season
The 1969 New York Jets season was the tenth season for the team in the final season of the American Football League . Trying to defend their AFL championship and Super Bowl III title, they won the AFL Eastern Division again with a 10–4 record...
, 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 champions
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
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
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
Minnesota Vikings
1969 Minnesota Vikings season
1969 was the ninth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 50th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings again won the NFL Central Division title, as finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, plus playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams in the Western...
of the NFL, unsubstantiated media reports associating Len Dawson with a known gambler hounded the Chiefs quarterback. Dawson was later revealed to be mistaken for another man with the same last name. The night before Super Bowl IV, Ed Sabol
Ed Sabol
Edward "Ed" Sabol is an American filmmaker and the founder of NFL Films. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 as a contributor due to his works with NFL Films....
of NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
approached Vikings coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
about being wired for sound for the game. Grant declined, but Chiefs coach Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
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." 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
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
. 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
Tulane Stadium
Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
as the Chiefs were crowned World Champions by claiming a 23-7 victory in the final game between the AFL and NFL. A victory parade ensued upon the club’s triumphant return the following day in downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City is the central business district of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is located between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east to Troost Avenue as defined by officials of the...
. As of 2011, Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
remains as the last championship won by the Chiefs.
Fall from glory, 1970-77
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 19701970 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1970 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the Chiefs attempting to defend their championship but ended with a 7–5–2 record and no playoff berth....
and replaced him in the lineup with Ed Podolak
Ed Podolak
Edward Joseph Podolak is a former professional American football player. He played quarterback and halfback at the University of Iowa before being selected by the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 1969 Common Draft.During a nine-year career from 1969 to 1977,...
. Despite a 44-24 win against Baltimore
1970 Baltimore Colts season
The 1970 Baltimore Colts season was the 18th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1970 season with a record of 11 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. They won the AFC East...
on September 28 in just the second-ever telecast of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’s Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
package, the Chiefs owned a 3-3-1 record at the season’s midpoint. The Chiefs and the Raiders
1970 Oakland Raiders season
-Awards and honors:*George Blanda, Associated Press Athlete of the Year*George Blanda, Bert Bell Award-References:**...
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
Ben Davidson
Benjamin Earl Davidson is a former collegiate and professional American football player between 1961 and 1972, most notably in the American Football League with the Oakland Raiders from 1964 through 1969, and for the NFL Raiders from 1970 through 1972. He had also played in the NFL for the league...
in an infamous incident that cost the Chiefs a victory and further inflamed the already heated Chiefs-Raiders rivalry. 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
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
booted a game-tying field 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.
| "I always thought that our best team was the peak of our best team, our ‘71 squad." |
| ~Lamar Hunt Lamar Hunt Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the... |
In 1971
1971 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season saw the club bounce back from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966...
, 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
Curley Culp
Curley Culp is a former professional American football player. An offensive and defensive lineman, he played college football at Arizona State University, was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion while at ASU, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs...
. Both placekicker Jan Stenerud and punter Jerrel Wilson
Jerrel Wilson
Jerrel "Thunderfoot" Wilson was an American football player. He was a punter who spent sixteen professional seasons, fifteen of them with the Kansas City Chiefs, in the American Football League and then the National Football League. He was selected to three AFL All-Star Teams and three AFC-NFC...
represented the squad in the Pro Bowl, as well.
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. 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
1971 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:- Standings : -Roster:-Scoring summary:*Dallas Mike Clark, FG 14 yds *Dallas L.Alworth, 9 yd pass from Staubach *Miami Yeprmeniam, FG 23 yds...
. It took 82:40 to finish the contest, but a 37-yard field goal from Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian
Garo Yepremian
Garabed Sarkis "Garo" Yepremian is an Armenian-American former football placekicker in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a career that spanned from 1966 to 1981. -Career:Yepremian was born in Larnaca, Cyprus to...
finally ended this epic as Miami claimed a 27-24 double overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
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. 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
1972 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1972 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the Chiefs moving into the newly constructed Arrowhead Stadium and ended with a 8–6 record and second place finish in the AFC West.The Chiefs introduced the newly completed Arrowhead Stadium to the general public...
, 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
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
on July 29.
After two different construction strikes and a myriad of other delays, Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
was officially dedicated on August 12 when the Chiefs registered a 24-14 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals
1972 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1972 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 53rd year with the National Football League. On September 2, William V. Bidwill purchased the stock of his brother Charles Bidwill to become sole owner of the Cardinals.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:...
. 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.
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. A standing-room-only crowd of 82,094 fans was in attendance for a 27-14 victory against Oakland
1972 Oakland Raiders season
The 1972 Oakland Raiders season was the team’s 13th season. The Raiders won the AFC West for the second time in three seasons. They lost in the AFC Division Round to the Pittsburgh Steelers when Franco Harris scored the game-winning touchdown on the Immaculate Reception...
on November 5, the largest “in-house” attendance total for an NFL contest in Arrowhead’s history. 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 prestigious NFL Man of the Year Award in the offseason.
For 1973
1973 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1973 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–5–2 record and third place finish in the AFC West.For 1973, the defense kept the club in contention thanks to a nucleus that still included the bulk of the squad’s Super Bowl IV starters...
, quarterback Mike Livingston started in a 23-13 Opening Day loss against Los Angeles
1973 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1973 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 36th year with the National Football League and the 28th season in Los Angeles. The Rams were 7-0 at home for the first time since 1945. On the road, the Rams were 5-2.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Week 6: vs...
, 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
1973 Buffalo Bills season
The 1973 Buffalo Bills season was the 14th season for the team and their 4th season in the National Football League . The season was defined by O.J. Simpson becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for 2000 yards in a season...
on October 29 on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
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. 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
1973 Denver Broncos season
The 1973 Denver Broncos season was the team's 14th year in professional football and its forth with the National Football League. For the first time in franchise history, the team posted a winning record of seven wins, five losses, and two ties.-Schedule:...
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
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
, The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
1974 Pro Bowl
The 1974 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 20, 1974 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The final Score was AFC 15, NFC 13. Kicker Garo Yepremian of the Miami Dolphins was the game's MVP. The attendance for the game was 66,918. In the game, Yepremian set a Pro Bowl record with 5...
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.
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
1974 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1974 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 5–9 record and third place finish in the AFC West, effectively costing head coach Hank Stram his job....
. 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. 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.
One of the year’s few bright spots in the 5-9 season was cornerback Emmitt Thomas
Emmitt Thomas
Emmitt Earl Thomas is currently the secondary coach of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He is a former college and professional football player who played for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs from 1966 to 1969, and then for the Chiefs in the NFL from 1970 to 1978...
, 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
1974 Minnesota Vikings season
-References:...
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.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
defensive coordinator Paul Wiggin
Paul Wiggin
Paul Wiggin is a former football player and coach who currently serves as the senior consultant for pro personnel with the Minnesota Vikings....
was named the second head coach in franchise history on January 23, 1975
1975 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1975 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a second consecutive 5–9 record and no playoff berth. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Paul Wiggin was named the second head coach in franchise history on January 23...
. 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
1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
and 1975
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. 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
1975 Oakland Raiders season
-Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Oakland Raiders 10:-Awards and honors:*George Blanda, most seasons in American professional football *George Blanda, most games played, -References:**...
. 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 homestretch 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.
By 1976
1976 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1976 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a third consecutive 5–9 record and no playoff berth.Buck Buchanan announced his retirement in February, while Len Dawson announced his own departure on May 1. Off the field, Jack Steadman was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf was named general...
, 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. Off the field, Jack Steadman was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf
Jim Schaaf
Jim Schaaf is a former American football executive in the National Football League . He served as general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1976 to 1988. Alongside his son, Schaaf now owns and operates Jim Schaaf & Associates , a sports insurance firm.From 1961 to 1966 Schaaf worked with the...
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
1976 New Orleans Saints season
The 1976 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints tenth season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**...
team coached by Stram, before suffering a 50-17 setback at Buffalo
1976 Buffalo Bills season
The 1976 Buffalo Bills season was the 17th season for the club and its 7th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Awards and honors:...
on October 3, opening the season at 0-4 for the first time in team history. 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. Running back MacArthur Lane
MacArthur Lane
MacArthur Lane is a former professional American football player who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1st round of the 1968 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 220-lb...
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
1977 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1977 Kansas City Chiefs season was the worst in franchise history with the Chiefs winning only two of fourteen games. Head coach Paul Wiggin was fired following a 44–7 loss to Cleveland in week seven...
, 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
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, marking the only in-season coaching switch in team history. Defensive backs coach Tom Bettis
Tom Bettis
William Thomas "Tom" Bettis is a former American football linebacker and coach. After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears...
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.
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. Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, the former head coach of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
’s Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, 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.
Signs of improvement, 1978-1982
For 19781978 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1978 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy, formerly of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes...
, Marv Levy’s systematic restocking of a relatively barren defensive roster began with a 1978 draft class
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
that included defensive end Art Still
Art Still
Arthur Barry Still is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills...
and linebacker Gary Spani
Gary Spani
Gary Spani is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1978-1986. He has worked for the Chiefs' front office since 1989, and is currently the director of tickets and events marketing for the Chiefs....
. Running back Ed Podolak, who was the club’s all-time leading rusher at the time, retired in the offseason on June 15.
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." The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards. 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
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
. Five different players had 100-yard rushing games during the year, including running back Tony Reed
Tony Reed
Tony Reed was an American college and professional football player. A star at Colorado, he played five professional seasons as a running back from 1977-1981. When he was in Kansas City he wore number 32. Rushing the ball his stats were 2,340 total rushing yards 8 rushing Touchdowns. Receiving...
, who finished the season with 1,053 yards to become the team’s first 1,000-yard back since 1967. 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
1978 San Diego Chargers season
The 1978 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 7–7 record in 1977. This season included the Holy Roller game. It was Don Coryell's first season as the teams head coach, and the teams first 16 game schedule.-NFL Draft:...
on November 26 as the club concluded its first 16-game schedule with a 4-12 mark.
In 1979
1979 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–9 record and fifth place finish in the AFC West. The Chiefs missed the playoffs due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records....
, Kansas City owned a pair of picks in the first round of the Draft
1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
, selecting defensive end Mike Bell
Mike Bell (defensive lineman)
Mike J. Bell is a former American football defensive end who played twelve seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League. His twin brother Mark Bell, also played in the NFL and at Colorado State, where he was a consensus All-American in 1978.- External links :*...
and quarterback Steve Fuller. By the season’s third game, Fuller had supplanted Mike Livingston as the club’s starter.
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. The Chiefs lost a 3-0 decision at Tampa Bay
1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season saw the team make a dramatic leap from being a winless expansion franchise, perceived as mistake-prone and ridiculed by the rest of the league, to becoming a serious contender for the National Football League championship...
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
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
.
In 1980
1980 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1980 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with an 8–8 record, the team's first winning season since 1972, but no playoff berth.Beginning the new decade, the Chiefs selected guard Brad Budde, the son of Chiefs Hall of Fame guard Ed Budde, as the team's first-round draft choice, making the Buddes the...
, the Chiefs selected guard Brad Budde
Brad Budde
Brad Edward Budde is a former American football offensive guard in the National Football League .-College career:...
in the first round of the Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, 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. 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
Nick Lowery
Dominic Gerald Lowery , nicknamed Nick the Kick, is a former American football placekicker for the New England Patriots , the Kansas City Chiefs , and New York Jets . Lowery was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and when he retired was ranked first in field goal percentage and also had the most...
, 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
Dan Pastorini
Dante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
broke his leg and was replaced by Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
, who guided the team to the Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
championship. After Steve Fuller was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season, former Miami 12th-round draft choice Bill Kenney
Bill Kenney
William Patrick Kenney is a retired quarterback who spent 9 years in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1980 to 1988 and a former politician who spent 8 years as a Missouri State Senator...
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.” 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
Gary Barbaro
Gary Wayne Barbaro is a former defensive back in the National Football League and United States Football League....
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.
| "I’ve played against the best—O.J. Simpson, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football... and (Delaney) ranks right up there with them...He is great with a capital G." |
| ~Elvin Bethea Elvin Bethea Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers... , Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... hall of fame defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... . |
Bill Kenney began the 1981 season
1981 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9–7 record, but no playoff appearance.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 Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening Day...
as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6-2 start, including a 37-33 win over the Steelers
1981 Pittsburgh Steelers season
- Schedule :- Schedule :- Week 1 : vs. Kansas City Chiefs :at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania* Game time: 1:00 pm EDT* Game weather:* Game attendance: 53,305* Referee: Jim Tunney...
on Opening Day. Second-round draft choice, running back Joe Delaney
Joe Delaney
Joe Alton Delaney was an American football running back who played two seasons in the National Football League . In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Delaney set four franchise records that would stand for over 20 years....
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. Delaney registered a 193-yard performance in a 23-10 victory against the Oilers
1981 Houston Oilers season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:-References:* *...
on November 15, the best single-game total ever amassed by a Kansas City rookie.
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
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America...
. 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. 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
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
’s “Hail to the Redskins
Hail to the Redskins
Hail to the Redskins is the fight song for the Washington Redskins. It was written sometime between 1937 and 1938 and was performed for the first time as the Official Redskins Fight Song on August 17, 1938...
,” Levy penned a fight song for the Chiefs ("Give a Cheer for Kansas City"), but much like the team's Wing-T offense, the concept never really caught on.
In 1982
1982 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1982 Kansas City Chiefs season ended in a 3–6 record that resulted from the NFL Players Association strike that shortened the season.In May 1982, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time...
, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time. 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
Jack Rudnay
John Carl "Jack" Rudnay is a former professional American football center in the National Football League...
, 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.
1983
To begin 1983, the Chiefs fired head coach Marv Levy on January 4 after compiling a 31-42 record. Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
quarterbacks coach John Mackovic
John Mackovic
John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...
was named the fifth head coach in team history on February 2. The 39-year-old Mackovic became the youngest individual ever to hold that post for the club. The Chiefs held the seventh overall pick in the quarterback-laden 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
and selected Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge
Todd Alan Blackledge was an American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship; and, as a pro, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
. The five other signal-callers selected in the first round that year included John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, Tony Eason
Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV is a former quarterback. He played college football for the University of Illinois and professional football for the New England Patriots and New York Jets .-Early years:Eason grew up in Walnut Grove, California, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg,...
, Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...
and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
.
Tragedy struck the club on June 29 when Joe Delaney drowned trying to save the lives of three youngsters in Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. Delaney was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on July 13. Linebacker Bobby Bell became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, providing some solace for the mourning Chiefs fan base following Joe Delaney's death.
With Kenney and Blackledge both on the roster, starting QB Steve Fuller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on August 19. Kenney earned a Pro Bowl berth after racking up a franchise-record 4,348 passing yards, while wide receiver Carlos Carson
Carlos Carson
Carlos Andre Carson was a former professional American football player drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 184-lb. wide receiver from Louisiana State University, Carson played in 10 NFL seasons from 1980 to 1989...
hauled in 80 passes for 1,351 yards. Despite the team’s high-flying passing game, head coach John Mackovic had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Joe Delaney and the running back position. The highest scoring contest in franchise history took place as the Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks
1983 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1983 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's eighth season with the National Football League. The 1983 season was the first season head coach Chuck Knox coached the team.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
combined for 99 points in a wild, 51-48 overtime loss at the Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
. A meager crowd of 11,377 attended the club’s season-ending 48-17 win against Denver
1983 Denver Broncos season
The 1983 Denver Broncos season was the team's 24th year in professional football and its 14th with the National Football League. The franchise experienced a turning point as it traded for quarterback John Elway.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:...
on December 18, the smallest attendance figure ever for a Chiefs game at Arrowhead as the club finished the year at 6-10.
1984
Pro Bowl safety Gary BarbaroGary Barbaro
Gary Wayne Barbaro is a former defensive back in the National Football League and United States Football League....
became the most notable Chiefs player to defect to the rival United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, signing with the New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
on February 2 after sitting out the entire 1983 campaign in a contract dispute. Barbaro's departure and the trade of cornerback Gary Green
Gary Green (American football)
Gary Francis Green is a former American football cornerback. A star at Baylor, he played nine professional seasons as a cornerback from 1977-1985 in the National Football League....
began a youth movement that produced the most vaunted secondary in team history. Cornerbacks Kevin Ross and Albert Lewis
Albert Lewis (American football)
Albert Ray Lewis is a former American football player who played in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders...
, and safeties Deron Cherry
Deron Cherry
Deron Leigh Cherry is a retired professional American football strong safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981 to 1991. Deron was a free safety and punter at Rutgers University. In 1979, he was named the team’s MVP. In 1979 and 1980, Cherry earned AP All-East honors...
and Lloyd Burruss
Lloyd Burruss
Lloyd Earl Burruss Jr. is a former American football safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981-1991 in the National Football League. He is the only Chief to ever be the Mack Lee Hill Award winner, the team’s MVP and a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.-External links:**...
accounted for a combined 13 Pro Bowl appearances for the Chiefs in the years to come.
All-America defensive tackle Bill Maas
Bill Maas
William Thomas Maas , is a former American Football defensive tackle who played for the Kansas City Chiefs , and the Green Bay Packers . Maas was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1986 and 1987. In 1984 Maas was named The NFL Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press...
and offensive tackle John Alt
John Alt
John Michael Alt is a former professional American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1984 to 1996. He played his college years at the University of Iowa...
were both selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft
1984 NFL Draft
The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...
. Maas was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Alt eventually became the cornerstone of the club’s offensive line later in the decade. Kansas City’s defense registered a team-record 11.0 sacks in a 10-6 win against Cleveland on September 30, coming one sack shy of the NFL single-game record.
Quarterback Bill Kenney suffered a broken thumb during the preseason and was sidelined until the season’s seventh week. Second year back-up QB Todd Blackledge opened the first six contests of the season and had the club at 3-3. Kenney returned to the starting lineup against the New York Jets
1984 New York Jets season
The 1984 New York Jets season was the 25th season for the team and the 15th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 7–9 record from 1983 under head coach Joe Walton...
on October 21, but inconsistency marked the rest of the season as the club dropped four of first five contests after his return. However, the team rattled off three consecutive wins to conclude the year at 8-8.
1985
The Chiefs got off to a flying start in 19851985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
with a 47-27 win at New Orleans
1985 New Orleans Saints season
The 1985 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints 19th season. It was Earl Campbell’s final season in the NFL.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-References:**...
, while safety Deron Cherry
Deron Cherry
Deron Leigh Cherry is a retired professional American football strong safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981 to 1991. Deron was a free safety and punter at Rutgers University. In 1979, he was named the team’s MVP. In 1979 and 1980, Cherry earned AP All-East honors...
tied an NFL record by registering four interceptions in a 28-7 win against Seattle
1985 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1985 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 10th season with the National Football League.-1985 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...
on September 29 as the club boasted a 3-1 record four games into the season. The club was then confronted with a seven-game losing streak that wasn’t snapped until QB Todd Blackledge was installed as the starter against Indianapolis
1985 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1985 Indianapolis Colts season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League and 2nd in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1985 season with a record of 5 wins and 11 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division.- Schedule...
on November 24. The team rebounded to win three of its final five contests of the year with Blackledge under center, further inflaming a quarterback controversy that continued into the 1986 season.
One of the few remaining bright spots in a disappointing 6-10 season came in the regular season finale against San Diego
1985 San Diego Chargers season
The 1985 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 7–9 record in 1984. It was Don Coryell' final season as the teams head coach.-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*1985 NFL season...
when wide receiver Stephone Paige
Stephone Paige
Stephone Paige , is a former professional American football player who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1983 to 1992 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1993. A 6'2" 185 lb. wide receiver undrafted free agent from Fresno State University, Paige played 9 years for the Chiefs and his final year...
set an NFL record with 309 receiving yards in a 38-34 win, breaking the previous mark of 303 yards set by Cleveland's
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Jim Benton in 1945
1945 NFL season
The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations....
. Paige’s mark was subsequently surpassed by a 336-yard effort by Flipper Anderson
Flipper Anderson
Willie Lee "Flipper" Anderson, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Los Angeles Rams , the Indianapolis Colts , the Washington Redskins , and the Denver Broncos...
(L.A. Rams) in 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
.
1986
Former linebacker Willie Lanier was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2. On the field, the pieces started coming together for head coach John Mackovic. His offense displayed plenty of scoring punch, while the club’s defense and special teams became increasingly effective. With the team sitting at 3-3, Bill Kenney replaced Todd Blackledge for the second half of the season in a game against San Diego, guiding the club to a 42-41 victory. That win was the first of four consecutive triumphs with Kenney at the helm, the club’s longest winning streak since 1980. Poised with a 7-3 record after 10 games, three straight losses in November put the Chiefs playoff chances in jeopardy. Two December wins gave Kansas City a 9-6 mark, putting the Chiefs on the verge of their first postseason berth in 15 years.The defining moment of the season came in the regular season finale at Pittsburgh
1986 Pittsburgh Steelers season
- Schedule :- Week 1 : at Seattle Seahawks :at The Kingdome, Seattle, Washington* Game time: 4:00 PM EDT* Game weather: Dome* Game attendance: 61,461* Referee: Jerry Seeman...
on December 21. Despite being outgained in total yardage by a 515-to-171-yard margin, the Chiefs were able to notch a 24-19 victory as all of the team’s points came via special teams on a blocked punt return, a field goal, a kickoff return and a blocked field goal return. With a 10-6 record the Chiefs earned an AFC Wild Card berth, winning a tiebreaker with Seattle. Bill Kenney was injured in the fourth quarter of the Steelers contest, meaning Todd Blackledge would draw the starting assignment for the club’s first playoff contest since 1971, a 35-15 loss at New York
1985 New York Jets season
The 1985 New York Jets season was the 26th season for the team and the 16th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 7–9 record from 1984 under head coach Joe Walton. Among quarterbacks, Ken O'Brien had the lowest rate of interceptions. He had 8...
.
1987
One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club’s playoff loss against the Jets. Assistant head coach and special teams coach Frank GanszFrank Gansz
Frank Gansz was an American football coach whose career spanned nearly 40 years. He died in Dallas on April 27, 2009, from complications following knee replacement surgery....
, resigned his position on January 7 in order to pursue opportunities as an NFL offensive coordinator. The following day, the Chiefs announced in an impromptu press conference that John Mackovic was relieved of his duties as head coach on January 8. A popular figure among Chiefs players, Gansz was reinstated on January 10 and was named the sixth head coach in franchise history.
Former quarterback Len Dawson became the third Chiefs player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, while injuries forced the retirement of the club’s all-time leading tackler Gary Spani. A duo of rookies made a splash in a 20-13 win on Opening Day against San Diego as running back Paul Palmer
Paul Palmer (American football)
Paul Woodrow Palmer is a former professional American football running back. He played in the National Football League for three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions, and the Dallas Cowboys. He was the runner-up to Vinny Testaverde for the 1986 Heisman Trophy and holds rushing...
returned a kickoff for a TD and Christian Okoye
Christian Okoye
Christian Emeka Okoye , is a Nigerian-American former American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. Nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," Okoye was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles. Okoye's six seasons in the NFL saw a league rushing...
dashed for 105 yards. A 24-day players strike began on September 22, effectively canceling the club’s contest against Minnesota
1987 Minnesota Vikings season
-Schedule:Note: The October 18 game against Tampa Bay was originally scheduled to played in Minneapolis. The game was switched with the November 15 game due to Game 2 of the World Series...
. Replacement players participated in games for the next three weeks. Much like Marv Levy five years earlier, Gansz’s grip on the club’s coaching reins was crippled by the labor unrest.
Kansas City’s replacement squad consisted primarily of players cut in training camp. One of the few bright spots among this motley crew was running back Jitter Fields, who remained on the active roster following the strike. The Chiefs strike squad received an ominous welcome in Los Angeles when in the early morning hours of October 4, the day prior to a contest against the Raiders, an earthquake rattled Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The shaken Chiefs lost a 35-17 decision later that day. The low point of the year came the following week at Miami in the first regular season game played at what then was known as Joe Robbie Stadium. Chiefs replacement QB Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens (quarterback)
Matthew Anthony Stevens is a former professional American football quarterback who played one season in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs following the 1987 NFL strike. He played in three games for the Chiefs, starting two of them. He played collegiate football at...
was injured early in the contest, forcing into duty QB Alex Espinoza
Alex Espinoza
Alex A. Espinoza is a former National Football League quarterback who played for one season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He went to college at Iowa State after transferring from Cal State-Fullerton...
, a player who had never taken an NFL snap. The result was a 42-0 Dolphins victory, setting the stage for an 0-3 performance by Kansas City’s replacement unit, giving the Chiefs a 1-4 record before the club’s regular roster returned at San Diego on October 25. Five straight losses followed, giving the Chiefs a team-record nine-game losing skid. For the only time in team history, five different players started games at quarterback for the club. Behind Kenney, Kansas City won two of its last three games to conclude the strike-shortened 4-11 campaign.
1988
The spring was marked by several notable trades as the club jockeyed to improve on its 4-11 finish in 1987. Todd Blackledge was traded to Pittsburgh on March 29 and 12-year veteran quarterback Steve DeBergSteve DeBerg
Steven Leroy DeBerg had a long career as an American Football quarterback. His career spanned 21 years over 3 decades. Despite the fact that large portions of his career were spent as a backup, DeBerg ultimately accumulated some impressive NFL statistics, particularly during the early 1990s, when...
was acquired from Tampa Bay on March 31. The Chiefs moved up one spot in the first round of the draft to select defensive end Neil Smith
Neil Smith (football player)
Neil Smith is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1988 to 1996, the Denver Broncos from 1997 to 1999, and the San Diego Chargers in 2000...
with the third overall pick. Bill Kenney opened the team’s initial two games at quarterback, but was replaced by DeBerg for the second half against Seattle. DeBerg guided the team to a 20-13 win against Denver
1988 Denver Broncos season
-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...
in his initial start as a member of the Chiefs. However, six losses and a tie followed as Kenney and DeBerg jostled for the QB job.
As the season drew to a close, it became apparent the winds of change were blowing across the organization. President Jack Steadman resigned on December 8, while general manager Jim Schaaf was relieved of his duties the same day. Steadman was later named Chairman of the Board. On the field, the Chiefs finished the year at 4-11-1 as questions swirled regarding Gansz’s future and who would fill the club’s leadership void. One day after the season’s conclusion, former Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and USFL executive Carl Peterson
Carl Peterson
Carl D. Peterson grew up in Long Beach, California, and is an alumnus of UCLA. He is best known as the former president, general manager, and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League...
was named the club’s President/General Manager and Chief Operating Officer on December 19.
"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 SchottenheimerMarty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
, 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
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas , nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft...
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. The club won just four times in its next 10 games as former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
and Steve Pelluer
Steve Pelluer
Steven Carl Pelluer is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. A 6'4", 209-lb...
, 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.
1990
The foundation for the club’s formidable offensive line of the 1990s gathered two key ingredients when center Tim GrunhardTim Grunhard
Timothy Gerard Grunhard is a former American football center in the National Football League. A second-round draft choice in the 1990 NFL Draft for the Kansas City Chiefs, Grunhard went on to play 169 games in all with Kansas City, the fourth most ever by a Chiefs offensive lineman, and was...
and guard Dave Szott
Dave Szott
David Andrew Szott is a former professional American football offensive lineman.Szott played 14 years in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets, before retiring from football in February 2004. He remained with the Jets as an...
were acquired in the 1990 NFL Draft
1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
. Construction began on the club’s indoor practice facility at the Truman Sports Complex, giving the Chiefs an 80-yard indoor field and weight room facilities upon its completion. Former defensive tackle Buck Buchanan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4. In the pre-season, The Chiefs made their initial overseas appearance, losing a 19-3 American Bowl
American Bowl
The American Bowl was a series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and 2005.- Overview :...
decision against the Los Angeles Rams
1990 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1990 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 53rd year with the National Football League and the 45th season in Los Angeles. On November 11, 1990, Marcus Dupree made his NFL debut against the New York Giants.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-See also:...
at Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Berlin)
The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Schottenheimer’s club got out of the starting gate quickly, winning three of their first four games. The club then struggled, splitting its next six contests.
Free agent running back Barry Word
Barry Word
Barry Quentin Word is a former American football running back for the National Football League.-College:...
produced a team-record 200-yard rushing outburst in a 43-24 victory against Detroit
1990 Detroit Lions season
The 1990 Detroit Lions season was the 61st season in franchise history.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Roster:-Rushing:-Receiving:-Awards and records:*Barry Sanders, Pro Bowl selection*Barry Sanders, First-Team All-Pro selection-References:***...
on October 14. Kansas City led the NFL with a franchise-record 60.0 sacks, including a team-record 20.0 by Derrick Thomas. Thomas established an NFL single-game record with 7.0 sacks in an inspiring Veterans Day
Veterans Day
Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...
performance against Seattle
1990 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1990 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 15th season with the National Football League.-1990 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:Even though the Seahawks did not qualify for the playoffs, their most memorable moment during the season was in the final seconds against the Kansas City Chiefs when Dave...
, a game the Seahawks miraculously won, 17-16, on a last-second, 25-yard TD pass to wide receiver Paul Skansi
Paul Skansi
Paul Anthony Skansi is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for ten seasons Paul Anthony Skansi (born January 11, 1961, in Tacoma, Washington) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for ten seasons Paul Anthony Skansi (born...
. That loss brought on the furious stretch run which saw the club record victories in six of its last seven outings. Behind DeBerg’s offensive leadership (23 TD passes with just four interceptions) Kansas City finished the year with a franchise-best +26 turnover differential. The Chiefs clinched their first post-season berth since 1986 with a 24-21 win at San Diego and finished the year at 11-5, marking the franchise’s best finish since 1969. The Chiefs suffered a heart-breaking, 17-16 loss at Miami on January 5, 1991 in an AFC Wild Card Game as placekicker Nick Lowery’s potential game-winning 52-yard field goal fell short with 0:56 remaining.
1991
On July 27, former placekicker Jan Stenerud became the first of his position to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Chiefs moved their training camp to the University of Wisconsin–River Falls after spending the previous 28 summers at William Jewell CollegeWilliam Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
in Liberty, Missouri
Liberty, Missouri
Liberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. At the 2007 population estimate, the city population was 29,993...
. On September 1, the Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons
1991 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Schedule:-NFC Wild Card Game:Falcons quarterback Chris Miller completed the game-winning 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Haynes with 2:41 left in the contest...
14-3 in front of a sold-out crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs were featured on Monday Night Football three times, including a 33-6 victory over the defending AFC Champion Buffalo Bills
1991 Buffalo Bills season
The 1991 Buffalo Bills season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1991 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division...
before a raucous crowd at Arrowhead on October 7, marking the club’s first home Monday Night Football contest in eight years. The club finished the regular season at 10-6, marking the first time since 1968-69 that the franchise had qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons. A 27-21 victory against the Los Angeles Raiders
1991 Los Angeles Raiders season
The 1991 Los Angeles Raiders season was their 32nd in the league. They were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 12–4, winning only nine games. The team qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season.-Roster:-Schedule:...
in the regular season finale gave the Chiefs the right to host the Raiders just six days later in the inaugural post-season game in Arrowhead’s history, and the Chiefs' first home playoff game in 20 years. Thanks to six Los Angeles turnovers, the Chiefs registered their first post-season victory since Super Bowl IV with a 10-6 win in an AFC Wild Card Game on December 28. The following week, the Chiefs lost a 37-14 decision at Buffalo on January 5, 1992 in an AFC Divisional Playoff match-up as the Buffalo Bills' dynamic offense proved to be too much for the Chiefs.
1992
A longtime nemesis with Seattle, “Plan B” free agent quarterback Dave KriegDave Krieg
David Michael Krieg is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He attended Milton College and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent...
was signed as the club’s starter on March 19. A melancholy off-season awaited the Chiefs, who mourned the passing of Player Personnel Director Whitey Dovell on May 22 and Hall of Fame defensive tackle Buck Buchanan on July 16. Both Dovell and Buchanan lost courageous battles with cancer. Six-time Pro Bowl safety Deron Cherry announced his retirement in July after registering 50 interceptions in 11 seasons with the franchise. The Chiefs retired the jerseys of former players Buck Buchanan (#86), Willie Lanier (#63) and Jan Stenerud (#3) in a ceremony prior to a pre-season contest against Buffalo.
First-round draft pick, cornerback Dale Carter
Dale Carter
Dale Lavelle Carter is a former American football cornerback who played for the Kansas City Chiefs , Denver Broncos , Minnesota Vikings , New Orleans Saints , and Baltimore Ravens ....
won the Bert Bell Trophy as the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. The very first time Carter touched the ball in an NFL contest, he registered a 46-yard punt return touchdown in a 24-10 win at San Diego
1992 San Diego Chargers season
The 1992 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 1991. It was Bobby Ross' first season as the teams head coach. They made the playoffs for the first time in ten years...
on September 6. Running back Christian Okoye surpassed Ed Podolak as the all-time leading rusher in team history against Seattle
1992 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1992 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 17th season with the National Football League. The 1992 season was the first season for head coach Tom Flores....
on September 13. Injuries eventually made the 1992 campaign Okoye’s last with the Chiefs after he compiled 4,897 rushing yards with the franchise. The club got off to a 3-1 start, but was faced with a 4-4 record at the season’s midpoint. Despite four consecutive victories, the club’s post-season hopes still came down to the season’s final contest. Owning a 9-6 record and needing one more victory to secure a playoff berth, the Chiefs defense tallied three touchdowns, while Dave Krieg tossed a pair of scoring passes as Kansas City claimed a 42-20 win against Denver to finish the season at 10-6. Despite the big win against Denver
1992 Denver Broncos season
The 1992 Denver Broncos season was the team's 33rd year in professional football and its 23rd with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:* *...
, the Chiefs made a quick exit from the playoffs as Krieg was sacked 7 times in a 17-0 AFC Wild Card loss at San Diego
1992 San Diego Chargers season
The 1992 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 1991. It was Bobby Ross' first season as the teams head coach. They made the playoffs for the first time in ten years...
on January 2, 1993.
1993
The Chiefs spent the off-season installing the "West Coast offenseWest Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
" under the direction of new offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who at one time served as quarterbacks coach to Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
in San Francisco. On April 20, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, who directed the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories in the previous decade. Guard Will Shields
Will Shields
Will Herthie Shields is a former American football offensive guard. He attended the University of Nebraska and played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his 14 seasons in the NFL, Shields never missed a game...
was selected with the club’s third-round draft choice, rounding out the “law firm” of Grunhard, Szott and Shields which anchored the interior of Chiefs offensive line for most of the decade.
On June 9, the club signed unrestricted free agent running back Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
, who had spent 11 seasons tormenting the Chiefs as a member of the rival Los Angeles Raiders. Montana and Allen made their debuts in a 27-3 win at Tampa Bay
1993 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1993 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 5-11 season. Prior to the season they drafted John Lynch who would become one of the most popular players of all time in Tampa...
on September 5, marking Montana’s first Opening Day appearance since 1990. Shields initiated a franchise-record streak of 175 consecutive starts the following week at Houston
1993 Houston Oilers season
-Regular season:The Buddy Ryan-led defense helped propel the Oilers to an 11-game winning streak to end the 1993 regular season, only to be upset by Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Astrodome during the Divisional Round of the playoffs. He was most notably involved in a sideline...
. Thanks to a pair of Monday Night Football wins at Arrowhead, the club owned a 6-2 mid-season record. Before taking the field in a Sunday night contest at Minnesota
1993 Minnesota Vikings season
1993 was the 33rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 74th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and seven losses.-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:...
on December 26, the team learned it had clinched its first AFC West title since 1971 thanks to a Raiders loss earlier in the day. The team finished the season with an 11-5 regular season record, marking the club’s fourth consecutive year with a double-digit victory tally. Linebacker Derrick Thomas was named the NFL’s Man of the Year following the season. Thomas, who founded “The Third and Long Foundation,” received the honor in large part due to his efforts in promoting children’s literacy.
Kansas City got its first true taste of "Montana Magic" as the Hall of Fame passer engineered a brilliant comeback in a 27-24 OT win in an AFC Wild Card thriller against Pittsburgh
1993 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1993 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to continue the progress made under second year head coach Bill Cowher. However, the team would take a slight step backwards, finishing 9–7 . Despite that, the Steelers clinched the final wild card spot, making the playoffs for the second consecutive year...
on January 8, 1994. Next, the Chiefs traveled to the Astrodome to face the red-hot Oilers, whom had won 11 straight games to conclude the regular season. The heavily-favored Oilers opened up a 13-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but once again, Montana conjured a comeback, guiding the club to a 28-20 victory. The Chiefs playoff journey ended as the club made its initial AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
appearance at Buffalo on January 23. Montana was knocked out of the contest early in the second half as Buffalo claimed its record fourth straight AFC title by a score of 30-13.
1994
While the previous off-season saw the Chiefs stockpile several key free agents, a number of familiar faces departed following the 1993 season, most notably cornerbacks Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross, as well as placekicker Nick Lowery. Quarterback Steve BonoSteve Bono
Steven Christopher Bono is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Collegiate career:Bono attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociology. As a Bruins quarterback, Bono posted collegiate career numbers of 177...
was acquired in a trade with San Francisco on May 2 to serve as Joe Montana’s backup, a job he previously held when both were with the 49ers. A grass playing field was installed at Arrowhead Stadium, replacing the previous AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
surface. The club made its second American Bowl appearance in the pre-season, meeting Minnesota
1994 Minnesota Vikings season
-Awards and honors:* Cris Carter, Led NFL in receptions* Cris Carter, All-Pro selection* Cris Carter, Pro Bowl selection* Warren Moon, Pro Bowl Selection 1994* Warren Moon, NFL Leader, Passing Yards, -Milestones:...
in Tokyo, Japan.
On September 11, Steve Young and the San Francisco 49ers
1994 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers 1994 season was the team's 49th season in the National Football League, and was highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. The championship made San Francisco the first team to win five Super Bowls. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the previous two conference...
came to Arrowhead to play against Joe Montana and the Chiefs in a highly anticipated matchup. The Chiefs prevailed over the 49ers and Montana’s successor by a 24-17 count before a crowd of 79,907, the second-largest “in-house” attendance in Arrowhead history. After starting the season 3-0, the Chiefs dropped back-to-back games before snapping an 11-game losing streak against Denver
1994 Denver Broncos season
The 1994 Denver Broncos season was the team's 35th year in professional football and its 25th with the National Football League. The season would be noted for being the final year that Wade Phillips was head coach.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:*...
at Mile High Stadium on October 17 in a memorable Monday night contest. Montana orchestrated a masterful comeback, connecting with WR Willie Davis for a five-yard TD with 0:08 remaining to give the Chiefs a 31-28 triumph. A late-season, three-game losing skid put the club’s playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Chiefs found themselves at 8-7 faced with a do-or-die regular season finale against the Raiders
1994 Los Angeles Raiders season
The 1994 Los Angeles Raiders season was the team's 13th and final season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-References:...
in the final NFL contest (to date) played at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Marcus Allen had his finest game as a Chief, ironically against his former team, rushing 33 times for 132 yards en route to a 19-9 win. At 9-7, Kansas City qualified for the playoffs for a fifth straight season. However, the Chiefs made a rapid departure from the playoffs in Montana’s final professional contest at Miami on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
. Montana and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino conducted a masterful first-half duel that ended deadlocked at 17-17, but Miami
1994 Miami Dolphins season
The 1994 season was the 29th in Dolphins history. On March 23, the NFL approved the transfer of majority interest in the club from the Robbie family to Wayne Huizenga.-Staff:-Schedule:-Notable Games:* September 4 vs. New England Patriots:...
eventually prevailed by a 27-17 count.
1995
Joe Montana announced his retirement from football after 16 years in the NFL on April 18 and Steve Bono was promoted to the starting job. Immediately, so-called media experts predicted much gloom and doom for the 1995 Chiefs under Bono, leading Schottenheimer to quip during training camp that his club had been picked "sixth in a five-team division." Led by Bono, who merited a Pro Bowl berth, Kansas City posted an NFL-best 13-3 record with unblemished 8-0 marks in the AFC West and at Arrowhead. The Chiefs led the NFL in rushing offense (138.9 ypg), scoring defense (15.1 ppg) and turnover ratio (+12). A 24-3 win at Arizona on October 1 featured a surreal, 76-yard TD run on a bootleg by Bono as the Chiefs initiated a seven-game winning streak, the franchise’s longest since 1969. In a Monday Night Football classic against San Diego1995 San Diego Chargers season
The 1995 San Diego Chargers season began with the team as reigning AFC champions and trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 1994. It ended in the first round with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts....
on October 9, wide receiver Tamarick Vanover
Tamarick Vanover
Tamarick Vanover , is a former professional American football player in the NFL and CFL.Vanover spent two seasons at Florida State University, where he was named a first-team All-American in 1992 as a freshman kick returner...
returned a punt for an 86-yard TD to provide the winning points in a 29-23 victory, the team’s third straight home win in overtime.
The club’s defense began to flex its muscle, beginning with a 21-7 win at Denver on October 22. The contest, played in a Rocky Mountain snowstorm, featured the 100th rushing TD of Marcus Allen’s career. The Chiefs won a home game for the third time on a last-second return score that concluded in Arrowhead’s west end zone when cornerback Mark Collins
Mark Collins (American football)
Mark Anthony Collins is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cal State-Fullerton.Collins also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay...
scooped up a fumble for a 20-13 win against Houston
1995 Houston Oilers season
The 1995 Houston Oilers season was the 36th season the team was with the league. The team bested their previous season's output of 2–14, winning seven games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-Staff:-Schedule:...
. Kansas City clinched a division title with a 29-23 victory at Oakland
1995 Oakland Raiders season
The 1995 Oakland Raiders season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record from 1994. The 1995 season was the team's return to Oakland after being in Los Angeles for thirteen years.-Schedule:-Standings:...
on December 3 en route to a franchise-best 13-3 regular season record and a team-record sixth consecutive postseason berth. The Chiefs were represented by seven players in the Pro Bowl, more than any other AFC team. In the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the underdog Indianapolis Colts
1995 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1995 Indianapolis Colts season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League and 12th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1995 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses, and finished tied for second in the AFC East division with...
on January 7—a blustery afternoon with the temperature at 11 degrees and a wind chill of -9. Three interceptions and three missed field goals from placekicker Lin Elliot
Lin Elliot
Lindley Franklin Elliott Jr. is a former kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football for Texas Tech...
contributed to the 10-7 loss at Arrowhead.
1996
Kansas City entered the 1996 campaign with essentially the same lineup as the club boasted in 1995 and were featured on the cover of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
along with Green Bay as pre-season Super Bowl favorites. Kansas City made its third American Bowl appearance, this time against Dallas
1996 Dallas Cowboys season
-Regular season:Against the Chicago Bears in week one, running back Emmitt Smith would leave the game late with an injury that left him temporary paralyzed. Though not career-threatening, Smith's injury would hamper his effectiveness for the duration of the season...
in Monterrey, Mexico. The club started the season with a 4-0 record for the first time in team history, but the season’s lofty expectations came crashing down as the squad lost three of its next four games. A three-game winning streak, including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1996 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American...
Packers
1996 Green Bay Packers season
The 1996 Green Bay Packers season was the team's 76th in the National Football League, which culminated with the franchise winning its third Super Bowl and league-record 12th NFL World Championship . The Packers posted a league-best 13-3 regular season won-loss record, going 8-0 at home and 5-3 on...
, put the club back in post-season contention at 8-3.
That rosy picture quickly crumbled in a 28-14 loss against San Diego on November 24 as Steve Bono was relieved in the second half by back-up quarterback Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
. Gannon assumed the starting reins for a 28-24 win in a Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit
1996 Detroit Lions season
The 1996 Detroit Lions season was their 67th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10-6 and missed the playoffs for the first time in four years.-Schedule:-References:...
as Marcus Allen registered his 111th career rushing TD to surpass Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
as the NFL’s all-time leader in that department, a mark that was later broken by Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
. Needing just one more win to qualify for the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped their next two games as an injury-hampered Gannon was sidelined for good in the second quarter of a 24-19 loss against Indianapolis
1996 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1996 Indianapolis Colts season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League and 13th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1996 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses, and finished third in the AFC East division.On October 13,...
. Faced with a must-win situation in a frigid regular season finale at Buffalo, the club’s post-season hopes hinged on Bono. Despite a 20-9 loss to the Bills
1996 Buffalo Bills season
The 1996 Buffalo Bills season was their 37th in the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 10–6. They qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
, the Chiefs still had a shot to slip into the playoffs if Atlanta could secure a win at Jacksonville. However, Atlanta placekicker Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
’s 30-yard field goal attempt went wide left with 0:04 remaining, preserving a 19-17 win and the AFC’s final Wild Card spot for the Jaguars
1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's second year in the National Football League, and saw the Jaguars trying to improve on their 4-12 record from their inaugural season. The Jaguars marked success as they won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7...
, who won a tiebreaker with Kansas City. The Chiefs finished with a 9-7 record, missing the postseason for the first time since 1989.
1997
Kansas City dramatically retooled its roster in 1997, beginning with the signing of free agent quarterback Elvis Grbac on March 17. In addition to Grbac, the Chiefs lineup featured 11 new starters, including wide recevier Andre RisonAndre Rison
Andre Previn Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football League's...
, who won team MVP honors after becoming the club’s first Pro Bowl receiver in a decade. On defense, the club’s top four picks from the 1996 Draft, safeties Jerome Woods
Jerome Woods
Jerome Harlan Woods is a retired American football safety who played his entire ten-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs....
and Reggie Tongue
Reggie Tongue
Reginald Clinton Tongue is a former American football safety who most recently played in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders.-Early life:...
, defensive end John Browning
John Browning (American football)
* Kansas City Chiefs * Denver Broncos John Edward Browning is an American football defensive tackle who is currently retired. He played in 24 regular season games for West Virginia University, tallying 78 tackles, 8 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection...
and linebacker Donnie Edwards
Donnie Edwards
Donnie Edwards is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, all emerged as starters.
Tackle John Alt
John Alt
John Michael Alt is a former professional American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1984 to 1996. He played his college years at the University of Iowa...
announced his retirement at training camp in River Falls, WI on July 21. All the new faces quickly formed a cohesive unit as the Chiefs posted a 13-3 record, an 8-0 Arrowhead record and their second AFC West title in three years. The club engineered several dramatic finishes, the first of which came in a Monday Night Football thriller at Oakland on September 8 when Elvis Grbac connected with Andre Rison on an improbable 32-yard TD pass with just 0:03 remaining to cap a 28-27 win. Six days later, Kansas City’s defense produced a remarkable goal-line stand to preserve a 22-16 victory at Arrowhead vs. Buffalo
1997 Buffalo Bills season
The 1997 Buffalo Bills season was their 38th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead finishing 6–10. The team missed the playoffs for only the second time in ten seasons.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:...
. After posting a 6-2 record during the season’s first half, Kansas City’s good fortune appeared to run out against Pittsburgh when Grbac suffered a broken clavicle. However, Rich Gannon led the team to a 5-1 mark in their next six outings.
Placekicker Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich and is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent who played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and briefly the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. He attended college at Indiana University.A first-team all-pro in 1992, Stoyanovich finished his career in the top 35 in...
provided one of the year’s most memorable moments, connecting on a line-drive 54-yard field as time expired to give Kansas City a 24-22 win against Denver on November 16. San Francisco
1997 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1997 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 48th year with the National Football League. The franchise appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in the 1990’s and, to date, is their last appearance in the NFC title game.-Regular season:...
entered Arrowhead boasting an 11-game winning streak, the team departed after suffering a 44-9 defeat. The Chiefs' vaunted defensive unit pitched a 30-0 shutout vs. Oakland on December 7. The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring defense, allowing a mere 14.5 points per game. The 232 total points permitted by the Chiefs in 1997 were the lowest tally ever allowed in a 16-game season in team history. Kansas City also broke a 63-year-old mark owned by the 1934
1934 NFL season
The 1934 NFL season was the 15th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, the Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit, Michigan and were renamed the Detroit Lions....
Detroit Lions
1934 Detroit Lions season
The 1934 Detroit Lions season was the 5th season in franchise history. It was the first season the team played in Detroit; the franchise had previously played in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive...
by not permitting a second-half TD in 10 consecutive games. Grbac returned for the regular season finale against New Orleans
1997 New Orleans Saints season
The 1997 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints 31st season.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:**...
on December 21 as the squad finished the year with six consecutive victories, a first in team history.
1998
The following year, with Elvis Grbac back at the helm, the Chiefs fell to 7-9 in 19981998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. Marty Schottenheimer took much of the blame for his failed attempts in the playoffs and conservative style of coaching ("Martyball"), and resigned following the 1998 season.
1999
Schottenheimer left as head coach, replaced by his defensive coach Gunther CunninghamGunther Cunningham
Gunther Cunningham is an American football defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Cunningham has presided over some of the most successful defenses in NFL history , typically ranking at the top of the league in many statistical categories.Cunningham was born in 1946 in war-torn Munich,...
. In two years, Cunningham showed little improvement, going 9-7 and 7-9. After the loss of Derrick Thomas
Derrick Thomas
Derrick Vincent Thomas , nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted fourth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft...
, the collapse of the defense was unmistakable. The Chiefs' wins were mostly made by a high scoring offense rather than a powerful defense.
2001
After coaching the St. Louis Rams1999 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1999 season was the team's 118th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 108th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 75-86 during the season and finished 4th in the National League Central division.-Offseason:...
to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and retiring, Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
was lured out of retirement and took over as head coach in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
. It was noted that Vermeil would have the team ready for the Super Bowl "within three years," while in fact Vermail would stay in Kansas City for the next five.
The first move the team made was forced after quarterback Elvis Grbac voided his contract, forgoing an 11 million dollar bonus, leaving to lead the Super Bowl champion
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
Baltimore Ravens
2000 Baltimore Ravens season
The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2000 NFL season with a 12–4 record, good for second place in the AFC central, and earning them a spot in the playoffs as a wild card entrant...
. Vermeil replaced him with his primary pick for the Rams' quarterback, Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
.
Another notable replacement was Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
at running back, who had served as back-up to Baltimore's Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
in their Super Bowl season. Additions to the offensive line, including left tackle Willie Roaf
Willie Roaf
William Layton Roaf, sometimes nicknamed "Nasty" is a former American football offensive tackle.-Football career:...
from New Orleans, Casey Wiegemann at center, Brian Waters at guard, and John Welbourn
John Welbourn
John Welbourn is an American football offensive tackle and guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at California...
from Philadelphia helped create the Chiefs' high powered offense. Holmes would go on to break Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
's record of 26 touchdowns in a season on December 27, 2003.
Vermeil brought many elements of "The Greatest Show on Turf
The Greatest Show on Turf
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was the nickname for the St. Louis Rams' considerably talented and famous record-breaking offense during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League seasons. The offense was designed by attack oriented offensive coordinator Mike Martz who advocated an unrelenting...
" from St. Louis to Kansas City's own offense, but much like the Schottenheimer era in the 1990s, the offense didn't win any playoff games.
2003
The Chiefs went 13-3 in 20032003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
and their offense, considered by many as one of the most powerful of all time, helped make Kansas City again a favorite to win Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
. After starting 9-0, the Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals
2003 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2003 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 36th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League. The Bengals are now under first year Head Coach Marvin Lewis, who replaced Dick LeBeau who was fired following the 2002 season for the worst season in Bengals history...
in their tenth game following a "guarantee" by Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. The Chiefs' dream season of 2003 began to lose momentum by November, but they still managed to gain the number two seed in the 2004 playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2003-04
The NFL playoffs following the 2003 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVIII.Beginning with the 2003–04 season, the NFL changed the selection procedures regarding officials for playoffs games. The league suspended the prior practice of assembling "all-star" officiating crews of highly-rated...
. The mighty homefield advantage of Arrowhead Stadium and their high-powered offense wouldn't lead the Chiefs to glory and the Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts
2003 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2003 Indianapolis Colts season was the 51st season for the team in the National Football League and 20th in Indianapolis.-Roster:-Schedule:- Division standings :...
in the AFC Divisional playoffs in an offensive shootout in which neither team punted, an NFL playoffs first. The Chiefs' defense came under fire immediately after the loss, and Greg Robinson
Greg Robinson
-External links:**-References:...
, the team's defensive coordinator, resigned after the season.
2004
As with the loss to the Broncos in 1997, this loss led to a poor following season. The Chiefs managed to finish the 2004 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
with a 7-9 record. In 2004, Gunther Cunningham was brought back as the defensive coordinator. However, the defense showed little improvement. The offense, unable to record the same high scores as the previous year, was unable to bring in the wins as they had the previous year.
2005
For their 2005 campaign, the Chiefs brought in several new players to boost a defense that had finished among the worst units the past three years. The year also saw Larry Johnson start at running back in place of an injured Priest HolmesPriest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
. But despite winning ten games, the Chiefs became just the fourth team in NFL history to go 10-6 and not reach the playoffs.
2006
A tearful head coach Dick VermeilDick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
announced his retirement before the final game of the 2005 season
2005 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2005 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 10–6 record, but no playoff berth. The Chiefs became the sixth 10–6 team to fail to qualify for the playoffs since the NFL introduced the wild card....
. Within two weeks, then-New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Herm Edwards
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
had signed a new 4-year contract to coach the Chiefs. The 2006 Chiefs returned to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, only to lose 23-8 in the Wild Card round against their playoff nemesis, the Indianapolis Colts
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
.
Meanwhile, Chiefs owner and founder Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
died on December 13, 2006 due to complications brought on by a ten-year battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. Hunt was remembered throughout the remainder of the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
all throughout the NFL with moments of silence and ceremonies in Kansas City.
2007
The Chiefs' 2007 off-season began with turmoil over the contract of Tony Gonzalez, and the long-term career of Trent GreenTrent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
in Kansas City. Backup quarterback Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
was signed to a three-year contract in February and Green was not only asked to restructure his contract but offered in trades to other teams.
On June 5, the Chiefs agreed to trade Green to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, pending a physical from Green. The pick can be upgraded to a fourth-rounder if Green reaches certain predetermined playing time and performance levels.
The Chiefs' 2007 training camp was documented in the HBO/NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs The series premiered on August 8, 2007.
After a strong 4-3 start, the Chiefs' offensive woes slowed the team down. Five different running backs were used after Larry Johnson was injured in week 9 against Green Bay
1997 Green Bay Packers season
The 1997 Green Bay Packers season concluded with the team winning its second consecutive NFC championship, but losing in a 31-24 upset to John Elway's Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII...
. The team also had no stability at quarterback with Croyle and Huard, while their offensive line depleted in the absence of their former Pro Bowl guard Will Shields
Will Shields
Will Herthie Shields is a former American football offensive guard. He attended the University of Nebraska and played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his 14 seasons in the NFL, Shields never missed a game...
.
The season ended with a nine game losing streak, the team's first since 1987
1987 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1987 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with an 4–11 record, and last place finish in the AFC West.One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club’s playoff loss against the Jets in the playoffs...
and a 4-12 record. It was the Chiefs' first season with twelve losses since 1978
1978 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1978 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy, formerly of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes...
.
Head coach Herman Edwards continued to build upon the Chiefs' roster with young players, mostly on defense, and attempted stabilize a once record-setting offensive line. The Chiefs continue to rebuild a defense that may quietly creep its way back to respectability.
To honor their late owner Lamar Hunt, the Chiefs wore a special American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
patch on their uniforms with the initials "LH" emblazoned inside the logo's football.
2008-present
On the season opener at New England, Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
was hit in the leg by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, tearing his ACL and removing him from action for the rest of the year. Other than that, there was little else of note about the season, which saw Kansas City fall to a franchise-worst 2-14 record.
During the next offseason, the team made news by acquiring quarterback Matt Cassel (who had filled in for Tom Brady during the previous year) and veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel from New England for a second-round draft pick, which was used to obtain LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs were also awarded the 256th and last player in the draft for the first time since 1970, South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop. Also, Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli is a professional American football executive, currently serving as the general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Pioli was previously a front office executive for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and New England Patriots...
was hired as general manager, yet another acquisition from New England.
There was little apparent sign of improvement as the Chiefs began 2009 by losing five games in a row before a victory over the Redskins in Week 6. The team did manage to inflict an overtime defeat on the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh in Week 11 however, and closed out the year with a 4-12 record by overpowering Denver and preventing that team from going to the playoffs.
The Chiefs got off to a 3-0 start in 2010 by beating San Diego 21-14 on Monday Night Football. This was their first MNF win in a decade, in addition to their first home win over the Chargers since 2006. They followed up the next week with a 16-14 win in Cleveland, followed by a 31-10 thrashing of the 49ers at home. The Chiefs entered their bye week as the only remaining undefeated team, but as most experts predicted, fell to Indianapolis 19-9 in Week 5. They lost a close match with the Texans (35-31) in Week 6, beat Jacksonville in Week 7, and then won a razor-thin game with the winless Bills. After going into overtime with a 10-10 score, neither team was able to score anything until Ryan Succop kicked a 35-yard FG just as the clock reached 0:00 and avoiding a tie. Then came losses to Oakland and Denver, three straight wins over the latter, Seattle, and Arizona, a loss in San Diego, and wins over St. Louis and Tennessee. Losing the final game at home versus Oakland, the Chiefs finished 10-6 and won their first division title since 2003. However, the team's lack of postseason experience showed up as they were buried 30-7 by the Ravens in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Kansas City began 2011 on an extremely unpromising note as they were buried 41-7 by Buffalo for their worst home loss since 1976. Another catastrophe followed in Week 2 as Detroit won 48-3 and inflicted a season-ending knee injury on RB Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. The Chiefs found themselves at 0-3 after losing 20-17 to San Diego. With their season hanging by a thread, they beat the also-winless Vikings 22-17 in Week 4. After beating Indianapolis (another winless team), they shut out the Raiders in Oakland 28-0. Despite their terrible start, the Chiefs now reached .500 and second behind San Diego in the AFC West.
Chiefs quarterbacks
Throughout the Chiefs' near five-decade existence, there have been twelve starting quarterbacks to lead the team. Among the most prolific include Hall of FamersPro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
and Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, as well as quarterbacks like Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
.
In the past few decades, the Chiefs have relied on veteran quarterbacks to lead their team. The last quarterback to be drafted by Kansas City that later went on to claim the starting position was Bill Kenney
Bill Kenney
William Patrick Kenney is a retired quarterback who spent 9 years in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1980 to 1988 and a former politician who spent 8 years as a Missouri State Senator...
in 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
. Since Kenney's retirement in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
. the Chiefs never drafted their own quarterback to develop until Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2005...
, whom started some games in 2007 and 2008, was drafted in 2006
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. When head coach Herman Edwards
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
arrived in 2006
2006 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2006 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the team looking to improve on their 10–6 record in 2005 under new head coach Herman Edwards.The team battled many obstacles during the 2006 season, including the loss of starting quarterback Trent Green in the first game, the readjustment of a...
, he stated that he was looking towards implementing younger players into his gameplan, and he was arguably looking to start at the quarterback position. The Chiefs acquired Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
in a trade with the New England Patriots in the 2009 offseason after a breakout performance with the Patriots in 2008 in place of the injured Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
. Cassel is widely expected to be the team's franchise quarterback and is an intricate part of the teams current rebuilding process.
The Chiefs have also had a repeated history of backup quarterbacks that steal the spotlight. Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback. He played professionally for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in 1968-1969, and for the NFL Chiefs from 1970 to 1979...
led the Chiefs to the playoffs in their 1969 season after starting quarterback Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
was injured for the majority of the year. Most recently, Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
took over for the injured Elvis Grbac
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac is a retired American football quarterback who played in the NFL. During his career he was a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens...
in the 1997 season
1997 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1997 Kansas City Chiefs were an above-average football team without any major flaws. The 1997 Chiefs are widely considered a major disappointment. The Chiefs finished with a 13–3 record and AFC West division champions...
, but was revoked of the job in favor of Grbac's return for the playoffs. The Chiefs lost in the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. A similar incident occurred in the 2006 season and playoffs when Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
and the Chiefs' offense failed to get a first down in the first forty-two minutes of the game. Backup quarterback Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
, whom led the Chiefs on a 5-2 record in Green's absence, never played a down in the playoff loss to—coincidentally—the eventual Super Bowl champion
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
Head coaches
| Name | From | To | Record | Championships | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | ||||
| Hank Stram Hank Stram Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs... |
Mid-December 1959 | December 27, 1974 | 124 | 76 | 10 | 3 |
| Paul Wiggin Paul Wiggin Paul Wiggin is a former football player and coach who currently serves as the senior consultant for pro personnel with the Minnesota Vikings.... |
January 23, 1975 | October 31, 1977 | 11 | 24 | 0 | |
| Tom Bettis Tom Bettis William Thomas "Tom" Bettis is a former American football linebacker and coach. After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears... † |
October 31, 1977 | December 19, 1977 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |
| Marv Levy Marv Levy Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills... |
December 20, 1977 | January 4, 1983 | 31 | 42 | 0 | |
| John Mackovic John Mackovic John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup... |
February 2, 1983 | January 8, 1987 | 30 | 34 | 0 | |
| Frank Gansz Frank Gansz Frank Gansz was an American football coach whose career spanned nearly 40 years. He died in Dallas on April 27, 2009, from complications following knee replacement surgery.... |
January 10, 1987 | January 5, 1989 | 8 | 22 | 1 | |
| Marty Schottenheimer Marty Schottenheimer Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach... |
January 24, 1989 | January 11, 1999 | 103 | 58 | 1 | |
| Gunther Cunningham Gunther Cunningham Gunther Cunningham is an American football defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Cunningham has presided over some of the most successful defenses in NFL history , typically ranking at the top of the league in many statistical categories.Cunningham was born in 1946 in war-torn Munich,... |
January 22, 1999 | January 5, 2001 | 16 | 16 | 0 | |
| Dick Vermeil Dick Vermeil Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs... |
January 12, 2001 | January 1, 2006 | 44 | 36 | 0 | |
| Herm Edwards | January 9, 2006 | January 24, 2009 | 15 | 34 | 0 | |
| Todd Haley Todd Haley Todd Haley is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Prior to joining the Chiefs, Haley served as the Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008, and was the wide receivers coach for the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.-Early... |
February 6, 2009 | present ‡ | 14 | 19 | 0 | |