Chiefs rumors: Myles Garrett connection, Travis Kelce's future, Alex Smith shoutout

The Kansas City Chiefs have advanced to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the past six years, and the opportunity to make history is now within reaching distance.

With a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs would become the first team in NFL history to win three straight championships. While most of the focus has been on the team’s title bout in New Orleans, questions about the looming offseason are slowly coming to the forefront.

The Chiefs will have several key free agents, including right guard Trey Smith, safety Justin Reid and linebacker Nick Bolton. They also have aging stars that will face retirement questions.

Myles Garrett to the Chiefs is an unlikely dream scenario

When Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett formally requested a trade on Monday, rampant trade speculation began immediately. While every NFL team would love to have the 29-year-old on their roster, he has made it clear that he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender. That leaves just a handful of viable candidates, including — of course — the Chiefs.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report suggested the Chiefs could acquire Garrett in exchange for their 2025 first-, second-, and fourth-round picks, along with defensive end Mike Danna.

While Kansas City would love that trade, it isn’t entirely feasible. Cleveland could certainly receive a better offer from another team, especially since the Chiefs will be picking late in the draft. 

Danna also isn’t an attractive trade candidate. The Browns, who are already burdened by cap issues, would absorb $6 million of Danna’s salary cap hit in 2025 and $11.1 million in 2026. Trading Garrett before June 1 would also carry a dead salary cap charge of $36 million. That dead cap charge would drop to $14.8 million with a post-June 1 designation, but Cleveland wouldn’t be able to get any draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. That would increase the trade cost to acquire Garrett.

The Chiefs have needed to bolster their defensive line to lessen the pressure on defensive tackle Chris Jones, and few players would do that better than Garrett. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has found great success with a 4-3 defensive front, and Garrett would fit into his scheme seamlessly.

Travis Kelce isn't ready to retire just yet

For an aging superstar, there would be few better ways to leave the game than with three straight championships. Michael Jordan did it twice after his three-peats with the Chicago Bulls. 

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could have the same opportunity as he looks to clinch his fourth Lombardi Trophy, but he doesn’t seem likely to take it. Super Bowl LIX will be the last game of the season, but the 12-year veteran has made it clear that it won’t be the last game of his career.

“Where will I be in three years? Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce told reporters on Monday. “I love doing this. I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still got a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing that football only lasts for so long. You’ve got to find a way to get into another career, another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseasons. But for the most part, I’m planning on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”

It’s evident that Kelce is no longer as explosive as he once was. Despite playing the third-most offensive snaps (940) of his career, the 2024 season was Kelce’s least productive season since he became a starter. The perennial All-Pro tight end finished the regular season with just 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Kelce has been the one constant weapon throughout the Chiefs’ dynastic run, and he has served as the centerpiece for the team’s passing game. When he does decide to retire, Kelce will be remembered as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history.

Andy Reid praised Alex Smith, who sparked Chiefs’ dynasty

The origin of the Chiefs dynasty is often incorrectly dated back to the 2018 season, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes got his first start and brought Kansas City all the way to the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs truly began to blossom a year prior, while Mahomes was still on the bench as a rookie backup quarterback. 

When Mahomes took over the starting role in 2018, the Chiefs were already an offensive powerhouse. Through Week 5 of the 2017 season, Kansas City was scoring a league-high 32.8 points per game and had won 26 of their last 30 regular season games. The Chiefs scored at least 30 points in five games that season. In 2017, Smith had four games with at least three passing touchdowns and no interceptions. For context, Mahomes hasn’t had more than three such games in each of his previous four seasons. 

During the opening night ceremonies at Super Bowl LIX, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid took a moment to acknowledge veteran quarterback Alex Smith’s impact on Mahomes in 2017.

“I’m not saying [Mahomes] couldn’t have been as great as he is now if he didn’t sit, but being with Alex Smith I thought was something you can’t buy,” Reid said, via NBC Sports. “He was able to sit there and watch a guy who’s the ultimate professional, on and off the field, and just get an idea of the lay of the land of how things work in this league. I think that’s helped him in that part of his career. I’m sure if he stepped in as a rookie he probably would have been just as great as he is now, but that helped, for sure.”

Entering the league, Mahomes was prone to playing hero ball and frequently produced negative plays. Watching Smith put together a career-best season proved to be beneficial to his development. 

Smith started 15 games and finished with 4,042 passing yards for 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw an interception on just one percent of his pass attempts, the lowest interception rate among all quarterbacks that season.