AFC exec makes bold proclamation about Chiefs playoff chances

An anonymous AFC exec dropped a bold proclamation about the Kansas City Chiefs and their chances of returning to the Super Bowl for a third consecutive year.

Earlier in the season, the Chiefs were a talking point throughout the NFL for all the wrong reasons.

Starting the season out at 3-4, the Chiefs are now 11-5. Their 34-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals is their first loss since Oct. 24, ending an eight-game win streak.

Even though Sunday ended in a loss, the result of Week 17 is ultimately a win: the Chiefs have clinched the AFC West for the sixth straight season. The team has come together in the last half of the season, which is why one anonymous AFC executive is hardly concerned with the Chiefs prevailing in the postseason.

“Not concerned about Kansas City at all,” an exec from an AFC team told The Athletic. “The combination of their quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) with (Travis) Kelce and (Tyreek) Hill, I think they are the ‘1’ seed every year. How long of a memory do we need to say they repped the AFC in the last two Super Bowls? We can talk about seeds, but I want to know who can match up with these three guys. The answer is nobody.”

AFC exec: “Nobody” can match up against the Kansas City Chiefs

Although many teams experience a Super Bowl hangover, the back-to-back Super Bowl contenders could be on their way to representing the AFC a third consecutive year.

Currently, the Chiefs are tied with the Titans for the first seed in the AFC with 11 wins and five losses. For their last game, the Chiefs take the Broncos, while the Titans will face the Texans. If both the Titans and Chiefs win, the Titans would win tiebreakers for the top spot — but if the Chiefs win and the Titans lose, Kansas City will take the top playoff spot.

The 2021 postseason will be the first year of a seven-team playoff card, which only allows the first seed to enjoy a bye week. If the Chiefs do land the bye, they’ll have a unique advantage over all other AFC teams — in addition to the weekly advantage of having Mahomes, Kelce and Hill all play on the same team.