Chiefs or Patriots pick 'em: Ranking the top 10 players from their respective dynasties

There was no shortage of dominance in the early years of the Super Bowl era. In the years before free agency and the salary cap, any franchise could retain their star players as long as the team's owner agreed to finance the payroll. As a result, several big-market teams established themselves as great dynasties.

The Pittsburgh Steelers reigned in the 1970s, while the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers dominated the 1980s and early 1990s. There were also the Washington teams that won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks under head coach Joe Gibbs, and Al Davis' Raiders teams that won three Super Bowls and eleven division titles in a 17-year span.

The implementation of the salary cap and free agency changed football forever. Gone were the days where teams could stockpile talent for years. Instead, the league was transformed by an era of parity. The 49ers, who became the first team to win five titles, never won another after 1994. In 1997, the Cowboys, just two years removed from winning three Super Bowls in a four-year span, had a losing record.

The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs are the only two franchises who have managed to establish dynasties in the free agency and salary cap era. They both found sustained success despite constant roster turnover and turmoil. They've combined for 14 Super Bowl appearances in the past 24 years and produced nine Super Bowl championships, with one still pending.

Here's a look at the top 10 players that helped New England and Kansas City reign over the league.

Players who did not win a championship, such as Randy Moss, were not included.

Honorable mention: Julian Edelman, WR

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman didn't post eye-popping statistics in the regular season, but he was a vital part of New England's passing attack. The slot wideout entered the league as a former quarterback, and he ultimately emerged as one of the best slot receivers in the league.

Edelman did most of his damage in the postseason. He won three Super Bowl championships with New England, and he made impactful plays in each of those postseason runs. He helped the Patriots make a 14-point comeback against the Baltimore Ravens with a double-pass touchdown. His diving catch in Super Bowl LI sparked New England's comeback against the Atlanta Falcons and remains one of the best catches ever made in Super Bowl history. He made critical third-down conversions against Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game in 2018. To top it all off, he was named the Super Bowl MVP after shredding the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVIII.

His 1,442 receiving yards in the playoffs are the third-most in NFL history, trailing only Travis Kelce (2,039) and Jerry Rice (2,245).

10. Vince Wilfork, DT

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was a massive problem for offensive lines — literally and figuratively. The 6-foot-2, 325-pound tackle never recorded gaudy statistics, but he made a significant impact on New England's defense. He recorded nearly 50 combined tackles each season on a 17-game average. For comparison, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has averaged 38 tackles per 17 games. The five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro helped anchor two of New England's Super Bowl teams, and he was responsible for creating the infamous "Butt Fumble."

9. Tyreek Hill, WR

Former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill could have been higher on this list, but his limited time in Kansas City drops his ranking. While he only enjoyed one Super Bowl championship in Kansas City, Hill played a critical role in quarterback Patrick Mahomes' early development. While tight end Travis Kelce demanded attention on short and intermediate route, Hill demanded double coverage on deep routes. His speed and change-of-direction ability helped Kansas City blossom as one of the league's most explosive offenses, and Kansas City has struggled to find the same success since his departure in 2022.

Hill quickly proved to be one of the most terrifying wide receivers for any defense to face. His to line up in the slot or on the perimeter made it difficult for defenses to double him, and he was still able to fly past defenders when he was doubled. It's no coincidence that Mahomes' best statistical season came while Hill was on the team. Hill's 288.9 receiving yards per game are the most among all players in NFL history.

8. Adam Vinatieri, K

Yes, a kicker makes the list. Adam Vinatieri is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history, and he certainly proved to be the most clutch. It's possible that New England's dynasty never would have come to fruition if a few kicks had sailed wide of the goalposts. Vinatieri sparked the Patriots dynasty with one the most impressive kick in NFL history. With 27 seconds left in regulation of a divisional-round matchup against the Oakland Raiders, he drilled a 45-yard field goal through heavy snowfall to tie the game at 13. The snowfall was so thick that the ball was barely visible as it rocketed between the uprights. Vinatieri went on to kick game-winning field goals in two of New England's first three Super Bowl championships.

7. Chris Jones, DT

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has developed into one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL over his nine-year career. Jones constantly wreaks havoc on opposing quarterbacks and often creates opportunities for other pass rushers by drawing additional attention from the offensive line.

He has tallied 80.5 sacks and 195 quarterback hits in the passing game to go along with 87 tackles for loss. Most impressively, Jones shows up in the biggest moments. The 30-year-old helped clinch Super Bowl LVIII by collapsing the pocket on a pivotal third-down in overtime.

6. Richard Seymour, DE/DT

Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. He helped lead a ferocious pass rush that produced three Super Bowl championships in four years. Seymour had the versatility to play as a defensive end in a 3-4 front and as a defensive tackle in a 4-3 front, and he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2003 after recording eight sacks as an interior defensive lineman.

Seymour was considered to be one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL during his career, and he was named a first-team All-Pro three times during his time in New England.

5. Ty Law, CB

Patriots cornerback Ty Law was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a spectacular career in which he won three Super Bowl championships. The cornerback helped New England shutdown elite offenses in the playoffs.

Law helped New England defeat the "Greatest Show on Turf" in Super Bowl XXXVI by returning an interception for a touchdown. He also intercepted Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning three times in the 2004 AFC Championship Game. After that game, Indianapolis complained and spurred rule changes that limited defensive contact and sparked the offensive era that dominates the modern NFL. Law finished his career with 36 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns.

4. Travis Kelce, TE

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has served as the centerpiece of Kansas City's high-powered offense. In Andy Reid’s West Coast offense, Kelce is frequently detached from the formation as a Y-Iso tight end. The alignment has positioned Kelce to play in a traditional wide receiver role despite being listed as a tight end on the depth chart.

Kelce's chemistry with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has made it nearly impossible to cover him at times, and the attention he requires from the secondary has allowed the Chiefs to exploit other areas of the defense. The 35-year-old has earned four first-team All-Pro selections and ten Pro Bowl nods in his career.

Kelce is the NFL’s all-time postseason leader in receptions (172). He needs 206 yards and two touchdowns to surpass Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice’s postseason record for most receiving yards (2,245) and touchdowns (22), per Pro Football Reference. 

3. Rob Gronkowski, TE

Defenses learned early that tackling tight end Rob Gronkowski would require more than one defender. Any matchup was a mismatch — the freight train dragged, carried and bulldozed through multiple defenders at a time. He was too big to cover with defensive backs and too fast to cover with linebackers. In his sophomore season, Gronkowski set the record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a single season (17).

Yet, what separates Gronkowski from his contemporaries was his ability to block in the running game. The future Hall of Fame tight end transformed into an elite offensive tackle and stifled elite pass rushers one-on-one throughout his career. That allowed New England to create personnel nightmares for opposing defenses. If there were too many defensive backs on the field, the Patriots would run the ball down their throats. If there were too many linebackers on the field, the Patriots could drive down the field with a barrage of passing plays.

2. Patrick Mahomes, QB

Chiefs quarterback patrick Mahomes has been unrivaled by the quarterbacks of his generation. Since becoming the Chiefs starter in 2018, Mahomes has led the team to five Super Bowl appearances, and he has the opportunity to win his fourth championship against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. If he does so, he would become the first quarterback to lead his team to three straight Super Bowl championships.

Mahomes is on a record-setting pace. He surpassed Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana in postseason victories in 2024, and he isn't even 30 years old yet. He's been the fastest to reach 30,000 career passing yards and holds the record for most passing yards in a single season (5,608), most passing and rushing touchdowns in a single postseason (12), and most passing yards per game (296.1).

Perhaps most impressive has been his ability to adapt and grow over the seasons. Early in his career, he dazzled on broken plays with mad scrambles and side-arm throws. Now, the 29-year-old has developed into a consistent and reliable passer in the pocket.

1. Tom Brady, QB

It's easy to be fooled by recency bias, but Tom Brady remains unrivaled as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He won more Super Bowls in his 21 years as a starter than any franchise in NFL history. He's won five Super Bowl MVPs; in the two victories where he didn't win the MVP, a wide receiver did. In two of the three losses, he threw fourth-quarter touchdowns to put his team ahead. He hold nearly every passing record, and his ability to elevate a lackluster offense remains unparalleled.

Even if Mahomes wins Super Bowl LIX, he would still only be halfway to surpassing Brady's seven Super Bowl titles. There's no guarantee that Mahomes can maintain his current level of performance for such a long period of time, particularly as his athleticism begins to fade with age.

While Mahomes joined a well-oiled and high-powered Chiefs offense, Brady joined two teams with losing records and led them to a Super Bowl championship in his first season as the starter. After two decades of dominance in the AFC, Brady left New England to conquer the NFC. When he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they had the worst winning percentage of any professional sports team and had not won a playoff game in 18 years. With Brady, it took about a half of a season for the operation to reach their cruising altitude.

In his first season with Tampa Bay, Brady led the downtrodden team to Super Bowl LV, where he handed Kansas City and Mahomes the most embarrassing and lopsided loss of their dynasty. He is the only quarterback to defeat Mahomes and Co. twice in the postseason, both of which were in the championship rounds.