Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs face these big questions after a season that ended before anyone expected

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid considers his options for a play against the Raiders during an NFL Week 18 game at Allegiant Stadum in Las Vegas on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid considers his options for a play against the Raiders during an NFL Week 18 game at Allegiant Stadum in Las Vegas on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Getty Images

The NFL playoffs are set to begin, and for the first time in more than a decade, the Chiefs won’t be part of the action.

On SportsBeat KC, the sports podcast of The Star and KCUR, Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney sums up a season gone wrong, especially at the end. The Chiefs, who have appeared in five of the past six Super Bowls, dropped their final six games to finish 6-11.

Questions abound: Will Travis Kelce return next season? Will Patrick Mahomes be healthy? Which free agents will the Chiefs target, and with a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, what direction will the Chiefs go?

It will be a Chiefs offseason like no other in the past decade. Check out this week’s podcast.

This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Chiefs face these big questions after a season that ended before anyone expected."

Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
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