Some ideas sound bold. Others sound impossible. And then there are the ones that surface when a season pushes a contender to its limit. Kansas City’s uneven year has created space for all three. The Chiefs sit at 6-7, fighting for survival, and the conversations around the franchise have shifted from playoff seeding to long-term fixes. This change has opened the door for an unexpected suggestion aimed squarely at Miami.

The main spark for this conversation came from former Chiefs star Mitchell Schwartz. He commented on analyst Steve Palazzolo’s post, where fans were praising the Dolphins and criticizing the Chiefs.

“I need Miami to start losing again so I can see my dream of McDaniel as Chiefs OC become a reality,” stated Schwartz.

The comment, part joke, part serious, and completely revealing, highlighted just how far the Chiefs’ offense has slipped. With Patrick Mahomes struggling to carry a flawed team, a legendary lineman openly wishing for the head coach of a $7.5 billion franchise to be fired speaks volumes about the urgency in Kansas City.

The timing only sharpens the contrast.

Miami just celebrated its fourth consecutive win, bringing its record to 6-7, thanks to an impressive 239 rushing yards and a defense that held the Jets to just 10 points. Mike McDaniel’s squad has become the league’s top rushing attack since Week 10, averaging an impressive 192.3 yards per game. The Dolphins posted historic marks: two 90-plus-yard rushers, three running backs scoring touchdowns, and six sacks on defense.

Even their Forbes valuation, sitting at $7.5B, now reflects a franchise rising in performance and financial muscle.

Meanwhile, Kansas City is moving in the opposite direction. Their playoff hopes hinge on winning all their remaining games and hoping several AFC teams falter. The season has reached a point where analysts are debating whether Kansas City should rebuild or retool.

Nick Wright pointed out that with a prime Mahomes, a rebuild might not be an option, but he also recognized that the issues they’re facing aren’t just bad luck. The Chiefs need fresh ideas, a cleaner offense, and new leadership around Mahomes.

That’s why Schwartz’s comment resonated. It captured a fan sentiment that the Chiefs must think big, think differently, and think fast. Even if McDaniel never becomes available, the call itself reflects Kansas City’s new reality: a team that once set the standard now searching for the spark it lost.

Chiefs face a hard reset as playoff hopes fade

The fall came on quickly. Kansas City’s loss to Houston dropped the Chiefs to 6–7, ending several streaks that had once defined their stability. This marked the most losses in the Patrick Mahomes era, their first dip below .500 since 2012, and the official end of their nine-year reign in the AFC West.

SportsLine now gives them just a 10% chance of making the playoffs, a figure that shows just how much help they’ll need, even if they manage to win all their remaining games.

The looming possibility of elimination carries significant weight. It could signal the start of a deeper decline, especially since next season’s opponents are already shaping up to be tougher.

The AFC West will meet the AFC East and NFC West in 2026, adding teams like New England, the Jets, Arizona, and San Francisco to Kansas City’s home slate. Their road trips are even heavier with Buffalo, the Rams, Miami, Seattle, and possibly Cincinnati. Those non-division road foes are 43–35 through Week 14.

If the season ended today, standings alignment would land Indianapolis at Arrowhead and send Kansas City to Atlanta and Cincinnati. The full schedule arrives in spring, but the difficulty is already apparent.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs face a $42.7 million cap deficit for 2026, per Over the Cap.

Fixing issues won’t be simple. Yet the needs are obvious. The backfield lacks explosiveness. Kansas City owns only three runs of 20-plus yards. A pending free agent like Breece Hall, who has seven such runs, could change that.

The passing game requires a new anchor. Travis Kelce has slowed down, and the Chiefs need to start planning for life after him. Players like David Njoku, Kyle Pitts, or Isaiah Likely could be viable replacements.

The secondary also needs help. Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook are free agents, and opponents have completed 67.7% of passes against them. With elite quarterbacks on the 2026 schedule, upgrades in youth and coverage are essential.

The Chiefs once planned for February. Now they must prepare for survival.