Chiefs are trying to reset NFL’s idea of a rebuild. That makes this draft critical
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Moves aim to reinforce Mahomes and return team to contention.
- Front office eyes edge, corner and receiver on Days 1–2 of draft.
- Organization frames 2025 as a reset, not a rebuild, leaning on draft hits.
After a devastating overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs sent shockwaves across the NFL.
That March, they agreed to send three-time All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for five draft picks.
A natural and valid reaction was that the Chiefs were entering a rebuild period. For at least one year, teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills wouldn’t have to worry about Kansas City raining on their parades.
But those parades never happened. In fact, the next parade for an NFL champion was the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl championship parade in four years’ time.
On the stage at Union Station, Chiefs play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus handed the mic to general manager Brett Veach.
He’d rehearsed.
“So ... start the season with 24 new faces — 11 of them are rookies, and many people thought this was a retooling year,” Veach said that day, before turning around and picking up the Lombardi Trophy to show the crowd. “In Kansas City, this is what a rebuilding year looks like right here.”
The swagger.
The two years that followed proved Veach right, with a second consecutive Super Bowl title and another Super Bowl trip. And even though the latter was ultimately a disaster of a championship game, nobody could’ve predicted how 2025 would play out.
After appearing in seven straight AFC Championship Games with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs finally bottomed out, going 6-11 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Defining the 2026 offseason
So are the Chiefs finally rebuilding?
Even after a deeply disappointing season, especially by the lofty standards set by the Chiefs over the past decade, the answer remains, “No.”
To me, true rebuilds in the NFL involve not having a surefire answer at quarterback. Think perennial rebuilders like the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets — or even those recently in flux at the position, such as the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints.
In January 2023, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was asked a question about his team’s championship window.
“The window is my whole career,” Burrow said.
As borderline cocky as the quote came across, he was right. And if he’s right about himself, he’s unquestionably right about the Chiefs, Bills (Josh Allen), Baltimore Ravens (Lamar Jackson) and Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford).
Most teams’ windows open for two to three years. The few teams with elite quarterbacks don’t have time for a rebuild, and the Chiefs seem to agree.
The ’26 blueprint begins
In January, the Chiefs announced the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. He is coming off a season in Chicago in which he coached D’Andre Swift to a 1,000-yard year as a rusher and helped Kyle Monangai to a rookie breakout (Bieniemy was the Bears’ running backs coach).
The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator from 2018-22, Bieniemy has familiarity with Mahomes, who actually pushed the need for accountability ahead of his rehiring. The OC sets a high standard and specializes in running back play, with names such as Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles on his resume.
Bieniemy’s return laid the groundwork for Kansas City’s splash move in free agency: signing running back Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43 million contract. This acquisition indicates a reshaping of the Chiefs’ offense. Expect to see more toward under-center looks in hopes of improving the run game’s efficiency.
KC currently owns the No. 9 overall pick in this month’s draft, but the class tapers off in running back quality after Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. Rather than waiting and hoping for Love, the Chiefs were aggressive and signed a player many considered the best available back on the market.
Defensive tackle and safety are considered other weaker positions in this draft, so Kansas City took care of those needs by signing nose tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman. Both project as fits for Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
Those three moves have set the Chiefs up well to attack their greatest remaining needs — cornerback, edge rusher and wide receiver — on Days 1 and 2 of the draft. The order off the board remains up for discussion.
Resetting reality in Kansas City
Rebuilding doesn’t fit how the Chiefs are operating right now. This feels like a personnel department that’s retooling and reinforcing around Mahomes.
This isn’t a rebuild. It’s a reset.
The cleanest argument for labeling this a “rebuild” rather than a “reset” would be the decision to send cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams for a package of draft picks. But considering this regime’s track record, that looks more like business as usual than a strategic pivot.
The Chiefs previously let defensive backs Charvarius Ward, Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid walk. They traded L’Jarius Sneed and now McDuffie.
When it comes to DBs, Kansas City is comfortable betting on itself, especially in terms of identifying talent in the NFL Draft. And it’s worth bringing up this month’s draft because that is where the Chiefs can solidify their non-rebuild reset.
In 2022, the Chiefs’ class of rookies included McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Joshua Williams and Isiah Pacheco. That slam-dunk of a class with instant contributors allowed the Chiefs to allocate cap space to other needs.
In 2023, tackle Jawaan Taylor, defensive end Charles Omenihu and linebacker Drue Tranquill came aboard. In 2024, the Chiefs added wide receiver Hollywood Brown and were able to bring back All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones on an extension.
After the McDuffie trade, the Chiefs now have nine selections. Get it right, and 2025 becomes a blip on the radar. With head coach Andy Reid, Mahomes and a rejuvenated run game, Kansas City immediately competes for the division and more than likely returns to the playoffs.
Every tweak so far this offseason has fit under this umbrella. But now comes the hard part.
The difference between the ideal reset the Chiefs are seeking and having to face a true, hard rebuild is a productive 2026 draft class — one that sets the tone for the next half-decade.
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Chiefs are trying to reset NFL’s idea of a rebuild. That makes this draft critical."
