One CBS Sports writer had some bold predictions, and he thinks there is a scenario where the Kansas City Chiefs miss the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a surprisingly-rough 2025 NFL season.
They finished the year with a 6-11 mark, which meant they missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. After two straight Super Bowl trips, it was a bit odd not to see Kansas City in the playoff field.
Of course, superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and missed the final stretch of the season. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers both had strong years and made the playoffs, and the future for both of those teams is very bright.
Mahomes has been working hard to be ready for Week 1, and all signs point to him being out there to begin the season against the Broncos on Monday Night Football.
Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports had bold predictions for every team before Week 1, and his prediction for Kansas City was that they would miss the playoffs.
"The Chiefs are amazingly the only team without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in the past three seasons. Rashee Rice can't stay on the field, Xavier Worthy hasn't turned all-world speed into production and Travis Kelce doesn't have much left in the tank. Chris Jones is on the decline and the defense lost most of its starting secondary. It all adds up to another disappointing season in Kansas City and the need to reinvent themselves in 2027," Clawson wrote.
Now, the Chiefs do have Kelce back for likely his final season in his storied NFL career. The Chiefs also hit back by signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency to finally address the need for an every-down running back.
They also brought back Eric Bieniemy to be the offensive coordinator again, hoping to reignite some of the magic from the Mahomes-Tyreek Hill days.
Still, there are plenty of questions for Kansas City.
On top of that, the AFC is loaded with teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and plenty of others expected to make some noise this season, not to mention the Chargers, Broncos, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.
None of that bodes very well for Kansas City, and a lot of their success this season will hinge on how effective Mahomes can be coming off a serious injury.
If he isn't his usual self, then Bieniemy's job will be even more important, although it does help having a superstar running back ready to shoulder the workload in the backfield.
Now, let us remember something: This is a bold prediction. But, anything is possible in the NFL.
