It took Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs almost a full extra period of football on Sunday night, but after KC’s Super Bowl 58 victory, they have cemented their status as the latest NFL Dynasty, with three Lombardi trophies in just five years.
“I hope people remember not only the greatness that we have in the field but the way that we’ve done it,” said Mahomes. “I’ll do whatever I can to be back in this game next year and try to go for that three-peat. So it’s an ongoing thing in the NFL. Tom (Brady) said it best. Once you win that championship, you have those parades, you get those rings, you’re not the champ anymore.”
With Mahomes being just 28 years old and the Chiefs having a chance at an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, Kansas City has the opportunity to be not only one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties but the greatest dynasty.
Where Do Kansas City Chiefs Rank Among NFL’s Best Dynasties?
While there are no set parameters for what makes an NFL dynasty, championships, longevity, and consecutive titles can make for strong qualifiers. If we look at teams with at least a five-year stretch of success, three Super Bowls/NFL Championships, and one back-to-back run, we get a group of six franchises that head the top of the class.
Kansas City Chiefs (2019-now)
- Seasons: 5
- Conference Championship appearances: 5
- Super Bowl appearances: 4
- Super Bowl titles: 3
While Mahomes will be the engine that fuels the Chiefs for years to come, Kansas City’s young defense has added a new wrinkle to the puzzle.
This will become even more important moving forward with Travis Kielce likely only having a few more years at the top of his position and two aging coaches in head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who could seriously consider retirement if Kansas City does capture the NFL’s first-ever three-peat.
New England Patriots (2001-2018)
- Seasons: 18
- Conference Championship appearances: 13
- Super Bowl appearances: 9
- Super Bowl titles: 6
Having the league’s best quarterback and coach leads to some serious success in the NFL… right, Chiefs fans?
Tom Brady posted a career that earned him the title of GOAT, but with the pace that Mahomes is at, Brady may not hold that title by the time the calendar flips to 2030. Remember that while the Patriots had consistent AFC Championship Game appearances and wins, they hit a nine-year Super Bowl victory drought.
Dallas Cowboys (1991-95)
- Seasons: 5
- Conference Championship appearances: 4
- Super Bowl appearances: 3
- Super Bowl titles: 3
Cowboys fans are desperate from the good ole’ days, and it’s easy to see why. Three titles in five years, the Triplets, the “Great Wall of Dallas,” and more had the ‘Boys rolling in the early ’90s.
Jimmy Johnson’s inclusion in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor was well past due, and fans have been recently reliving his accomplishments — accomplishments that gave Dallas one of the top six NFL dynasties of all time.
San Francisco 49ers (1981-94)
- Seasons: 14
- Conference Championship appearances: 9
- Super Bowl appearances: 5
- Super Bowl titles: 5
The 49ers boast the second-longest dynasty in NFL history and a 1984 team that is is considered by many as one of the best teams in league history. San Francisco was the first team to reach the five-Super Bowl plateau.
MORE: Patrick Mahomes Crowns Andy Reid as the Best Coach of All-Time
What sets this 49ers team apart is two Hall of Fame QBs in Joe Montana and Steve Young. Montana was a perfect 4-0 in Super Bowls, while Young put on a dominant performance against the San Diego Chargers in his victory. It also doesn’t hurt when you have Jerry Rice to rifle the ball to.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1972-79)
- Seasons: 6
- Conference Championship appearances: 5
- Super Bowl appearances: 9
- Super Bowl titles: 4
The Steel Curtain — three words that kept opponents in check for the better part of a decade as the Steelers became the first NFL franchise to win four Super Bowls. Additionally, Pittsburgh is the only team to win consecutive titles twice.
The Steelers also had to go toe-to-toe with some of the best-coached teams ever in the Dolphins (Don Shula), Cowboys (Tom Landry), and Raiders (John Madden). This dynasty is also the only perfect one with a 4-0 Super Bowl record.
Green Bay Packers (1960-67)
- Seasons: 8
- Conference Championship appearances: 7
- Super Bowl* appearances: 6
- Super Bowl* titles: 5
While the Green Bay Packers’ first three titles may have just been “NFL Championships,” there is a reason the winner of the Super Bowl gets the Lombardi trophy.
Vince Lombardi racked up a 9-1 record in the playoffs. The Packers are also the only team to win three consecutive championships, which included the first two Super Bowls. Their dominance in the 1960s is nearly unmatched in NFL history, but they did play when there were only 12 teams.
What’s Next for the Kanas City Chiefs?
The path to greatness is truly laid out in front of the Chiefs, a team that has already made masterful decisions, such as trading the best NFL wide receiver in Tyreek Hill before going on to win back-to-back titles.
MORE: Would Another Super Bowl Make the Chiefs the Greatest Dynasty Ever?
If Kansas City can keep Mahomes healthy and its coaching tree intact and continue to dispatch the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow, the Chiefs will go down as the GDOAT… Greatest Dynasty of All Time.
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