Julian Edelman on how the current Chiefs compare to the Patriots dynasty

There was no shortage of dominance of dominance in the early days of the Super Bowl era. In the years before the free agency and salary cap era, any franchise could keep its stars in town as long as the team's owner agreed to finance the payroll as necessary. Many of the league's most dominant teams came during those early years, before years of antitrust litigation led to the advent of free agency in 1993 and the salary cap in 1994. Gone were the days when teams could stockpile talent for years. Instead, an era of parity transformed the league.

A few teams have enjoyed periods of success since the advent of free agency, but only two franchises have managed to build a dynasty: the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman, who played in the latter half of a New England dynasty that spanned across two decades, understands the challenges of being a dynasty as well as anybody. During an appearance on FanSided's "Stacking the Box" podcast with Sterling Holmes, Edelman discussed the similarities between the two dynasties and outlined the challenges that await Kansas City in the years to come.

Julian Edelman compares the Chiefs to Patriots dynasty

The formula of the two franchises is the same: an all-time great head coach and quarterback duo with stability at ownership. But Edelman sees a lot of similarities between the Patriots and Chiefs dynasties on the field as well, especially in their ability to adapt.

"One of the similarities that was really apparent this year and last was their ability to adjust their team with the players that they have and find a formula to go out and win," Edelman said. "I mean, it was it was really impressive for the team to lose [wide receiver] Tyreek Hill and then be able to replace him and start beefing up that defense. And they still have production on offense last year and then to repeat it this year with probably not their best receiving corps — I mean, they did lead the league in drops. But when those players needed to make plays for the team in the playoffs and important plays, they made plays, and they were able to rely on that defense that was playing stout."

Football season starts after Thanksgiving. It's a Bill Belichick cliché, but it's one that Kansas City fans will soon come to understand. For great teams, the early part of the season is for experimentation and self-scouting. While losses are never good, teams are forced to adapt on annual basis, and each year, the team needs to develop a new identity. To win the Super Bowl in 2023, the Chiefs couldn't attack the postseason with a high-flying aerial attack like the 2019 Chiefs did. The offensive talent paled in comparison to the weaponry in the past, so the Chiefs relied on a conservative approach and strong defense.

The Chiefs hit some turbulence throughout the 2023 season. The media began writing their obituary after a 2-4 stretch during the middle of the season, long before the postseason began. The 2023 Chiefs had an uncanny resemblance to the 2018 Patriots. Both teams won 11 games during the regular season and were expected to lose early in the postseason. Instead, they beat more talented teams by being more disciplined, making less mistakes, and letting their quarterbacks cut out their opponent's heart when it mattered most.

"You’re still configuring and seeing what you have that's different from the year before — what's this specific team?" Edelman said of early-season struggles. "And then once you find that formula, that's when you ride it out to the playoffs. ... That's when you don't leave anything in the bag, that's when you're not playing the tendency game where ... you're blowing teams out and you're not throwing the ball anymore. There's a lot of things similarities that you see with the Chiefs that we had. And also, preparation. Our preparation in New England was tough, starting with how coach [Bill Belichick] handled the practices, how Tom [Brady] was a leader in the practices and always practiced with a purpose even though he had the most success out of anyone on the team. To see your leader go out and always be practicing hard makes everyone have to fall in line. And the practices were tough and then when you get to the game moment, if you practice hard, we always used to say, 'Practice execution becomes game reality.' It's just déjà vu. So that's probably why I had some of my best games in the [playoffs]."

Remaining at the top in a league that is rigged to bring everyone to the median is no easy task. The restrictive salary cap, free agency, draft, and schedule all contribute in the continuous trek to mediocrity. The journey from loser to winner is not as complicated as it once was. With a system designed to drag everyone to the middle, teams go from last-to-first and first-to-last every season. Consistency is difficult to maintain, but defying parity entirely takes much more. As talent-starved and overeager bottom-feeders offer armored truck of cash to All-Pro players, teams can only retain so much of their own talent. The salary cap begins to handicap star-studded teams, and teams that perform well face a tougher schedule the following season.

"When you're winning, you lose players," Edelman said. "So great teams can go out and configure their team while also getting wins and that's what the Chiefs had to do all year. They had to learn what made them their best, just like we had to learn. [The Patriots] go 2-2, everyone thinks we're out in ’14, you come out and win the Super Bowl."

The former Patriot doesn't expect things to get any easier for Kansas City moving forward. They'll have to battle attrition and the salary cap, but their opponents will also play them tougher and begin molding their teams to beat the Chiefs.

"The ability to transform your team each year, it's something that I can relate to, especially now, you're America's Most Wanted, you're the bounty," Edelman explained. "Everyone circles you every year and they get everyone's best every week. Every team thinks if you go out and beat the Chiefs in Week 3, Week 8, Week 7, coaches think they're gonna get new jobs, players think they're gonna get paid. We did that for 20 years, so it's impressive to see what they're doing and I wish them the best."

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