Another Chiefs Super Bowl run could put fourth title in serious jeopardy

The Kansas City Chiefs had a season to remember. Eyeing their third straight Super Bowl win, Kansas City went 15-2 overall (15-1 with their starters) to not only win yet another AFC West division title, but to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The path to the Super Bowl in the AFC will run through Kansas City.

Given all that Kansas City has done in the past and in the 2024 season thus far, they're obvious favorites to win it all once again. The way they finished out the regular season only emphasizes that.

As electric as winning three Super Bowls would be for Kansas City, though, accomplishing that feat might cost them a shot at pulling off a four-peat.

Third straight Super Bowl win can make run at fourth tougher for Chiefs

Again, there's no disputing just how awesome it would be for the Chiefs to win a third straight Super Bowl. Not a single NFL team has three-peated in the Super Bowl era. Accomplishing that in an era with more parody than ever would be quite the feat. Still, doing so might make pulling off a fourth even tougher.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will obviously still be in town past the 2024 season, so the Chiefs will be competitive no matter what happens. However, the Chiefs winning again will make it even likelier that another crucial member of the organization, Steve Spagnuolo, will land a head coaching gig, leading to his departure.

Spagnuolo is open to making the move from defensive coordinator to head coach, and has already generated interest. In fact, he just completed an interview with the New York Jets for their vacant head coaching position.

Spagnuolo is generating interest to make the move to head coach even before the playoffs. If the Chiefs win again, that'll make him departing likelier than it already is. If he were to leave for another team, that would make winning another Super Bowl a really tough challenge.

Mahomes and Reid deserve an immense amount of credit for Kansas City's success, obviously, but an argument can (and probably should) be made that their defense has been more dominant and consistent than their offense.

Kansas City's defense allowed just 19.2 points per game, the fourth fewest in the NFL this past season. It allowed 17.3 points per game in 2023, the second-fewest in the NFL. Spagnuolo has been Kansas City's defensive coordinator in each of the last six seasons. Kansas City's defense has finished in the top eight in points allowed in four of those six years. It has ranked outside of the top 10 just once. He's as elite of a defensive coordinator as there is in the NFL.

While the Chiefs would still be contenders without Spagnuolo, their defense would take a monstrous hit if he were to depart. The Chiefs can still win without him, but that would be easier said than done.