The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the longest histories of any AFL team, and they are one of the greatest teams in the AFC right now, as well as this year’s Super Bowl representative. The Chiefs, led by the explosive Patrick Mahomes, are finally back in contention and run one of the strongest offences in the game, capable of breaking plays at any time. Their defence certainly needs work, but the Chiefs are poised to be Super Bowl contenders in the coming years, especially with their young franchise quarterback.
With the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, it’s time to discover more about who they are, where they came from, and other interesting things you may not have heard about them. They are one of the most storied franchises in the NFL today, even though they do not have a large collection of Super Bowl trophies.
1. Valuation
Despite being one of the best teams in the NFL right now, the Kansas City Chiefs do not even rank in the top half of the league in terms of value. Forbes values the Chiefs at $2.3 billion, ranking them as the 24th most valuable club. So they are only worth more than eight other teams. We hope that this Super Bowl appearance will change that.
2. Super Bowl Drought
The Kansas City Chiefs’ appearance in Super Bowl 54 brings an end to a 50-year drought from the big game. The last time they played in the Super Bowl was in the fourth edition, which was still known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
3. Inaugural Super Bowl Appearance
Kansas City played in the first Super Bowl, losing 35-10 to the Green Bay Packers. It was the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship Game, and the Chiefs represented the AFL. The game was held in 1967 in Los Angeles in front of 61,000 people.
4. Origin
The Kansas City Chiefs did not start in Kansas City. Their heritage began in Dallas, where they were known as the Texans. After realising his team couldn’t compete with the previously established Dallas Cowboys, the owner transferred it to Kansas City in 1963. They spent only three seasons in Dallas and had no link to the current Houston Texans.
5. AFL Founders
The Kansas City Chiefs were a founding member of the AFL, as original owner Lamar Hunt wanted to play in the NFL but was turned down by Dallas, so he formed his own league and club to compete with the NFL. The leagues subsequently merged, and the AFL became the AFC.
6. Loudest Fanbase
The Kansas City Chiefs have the World Record for the loudest crowd roar at a sports venue, at 142.2 decibels (dBA). It happened in September 2014, when they played the New England Patriots when the defence sacked quarterback Tom Brady.
7. Pioneers At Linebacker
In 1967, Willie Lanier became the first black middle linebacker in professional football after being picked in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs. He told Sports Illustrated that he takes great delight in helping to break down barriers and revolutionise the position. He spent 11 seasons with the Chiefs and is a football Hall of Famer.
8. The Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes is a legendary quarterback who has passed for over 9,000 yards and 75 touchdowns in just 30 games in three short seasons, two of which he has started, making him the fastest player in NFL history to accomplish so.
9. All-time leading scorer
The Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer is another placekicker. Nick Lowery was the Chiefs’ kicker from 1980 to 1993, scoring 1,466 points in that span. It helps that kickers have plenty of opportunities to score field goals and extra points. It’s still astonishing to see how many kicks he executed.
10. Mascot Evolution
Before adopting K.C. Wolf as its mascot in 1989, the Kansas City Chiefs had Warpaint, a horse ridden by a man wearing a full native chief head gear. That type of mascot is unlikely to be popular now, especially given the Washington Redskins’ recent naming controversy.