No one expected the Kansas City Chiefs to have a disappointing season like 2025. It ended many long-standing streaks: AFC West titles, playoff berths, 10-win seasons, AFC Championship appearances, and consecutive playoff wins. Yet, anyone betting against them, especially with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes at the helm, is certainly a fool. So believes franchise owner Clark Hunt. 

“I would never bet against coach Reed and Patrick Mahomes, right?” Hunt remarked during his appearance on the Defending the Kingdom podcast. 

His confidence? It’s all in the leadership. Hiring Andy Reid in 2013 remains the best move of the Clark Hunt era. Reid took a 2-14 team at the bottom of the AFC West and flipped the script overnight, finishing 11-5 in his first year. The Chiefs were already a force in the division pre-2017, but once Mahomes took the reins and pushed the team to a level of league-wide dominance. 

“It’s definitely been a disappointing season for everybody involved with the Chiefs organization,” added Hunt. “We look forward from an optimistic standpoint. We’ve got great leaders. That starts with Coach [Andy] Reid, includes Brett [Veach], who does such a great job every year with the draft and free agency. And then even though Patrick’s hurt right now, I certainly would not bet against him being ready for week one next year.”

Disaster struck for the Chiefs in Week 15 when Mahomes went down with an injury. Had he stayed healthy, Kansas City may have overcome its 16-13 loss against the Chargers. However, in the final moments of the game, he was tackled by Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time NFL MVP clutching his knee in pain. It was later confirmed that he had sustained a torn ACL and LCL, for which he underwent surgery in Dallas. 

Like a blessing in disguise, the surgery went successfully. As Hunt called it, “nobody will work at his rehab harder than Patrick.” Rightfully, the quarterback has already started rehabbing his left knee, aiming to be back in top form for the 2026 season opener. Or even sooner. 

Besides them, the Chiefs’ front office has rarely disappointed when it comes to draft picks. General Manager Veach has drafted some of the finest players, like cornerback Trent McDuffie in 2022, counted among the league’s top corners. Then, there are center Creed Humphrey, guard Trey Smith, CB L’Jarius Sneed, LB Nick Bolton, WR Rashee Rice, and DE George Karlaftis, among the others. 

For next season, the Chiefs don’t need an entire overhaul, but rather a few adjustments here and there. They already have a few targets in mind from the 2026 NFL Draft.

Chiefs’ 2026 draft strategies

Since the three-time Super Bowl MVP is expected to return by the 2026 season opener, the Chiefs’ draft picks are expected to be centered around the offense, more specifically, the wide receiver corps. Though they have Hollywood Brown, Rice, and Xavier Worthy, injuries and suspensions have compromised the position. 

Another priority position for the team would be tight end, as they need to bring Travis Kelce’s successor before his retirement. While it’s still not confirmed whether the legendary TE will be retiring this season, the front office is reportedly targeting Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon. He’s ideal to fit in the shoes of Kelce and give Mahomes an athletic playmaker because the Chiefs’ offense heavily relies on the tight end. 

They are also targeting running back Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame, as the position needs a revamp with Kareem Hunt not being explosive enough, and Isiah Pacheco struggling with injuries. The front office also has its eyes on defensive tackle Caleb Banks from Florida as a potential successor to Chris Jones, whose production notably slowed down this season.