The Kansas City Chiefs have three players who are on a Hall of Fame track, and one name will surprise many people.
The Kansas City Chiefs still have plenty of star power. That was one of the biggest takeaways from the NFL’s announcement that the Chiefs would be playing the Denver Broncos in the first Monday night game as part of the Week 1 schedule. Kansas City has multiple players on track to make the Hall of Fame, and Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus did an intriguing rundown of their current status.
Lock: Patrick Mahomes QB
Mahomes’ star isn’t shining quite as brightly these days has he rehabs from a serious knee injury that sent the Chiefs spiraling to a 6-11 record. He’s still just 30, too, and Locker’s take on viewing Mahomes this was that it’s “a bit precocious.”
But not outlandish at all. It’s easy to forget what Mahomes has done to date, which includes being two-time MVP, three-time champion, Offensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Pro.
That’s a serious Hall of Fame resume, but numbers are part of the process, too. It would probably take a book, much less a separate article, to go through what Mahomes has achieved in at regard, but if you’re looking for a big one, consider that according to PFF’s Wins Above Replacement, Mahomes rating of 25.93 is well ahead of that of Tom Brady at 19.35.
The only question at this point is how much he can come back this year, and whether he can eventually unseat Brady as the GOAT if he continues to succeed.
Lock: Travis Kelce TE
Kelce projects as a first-ballot Hall of Fame, and he hasn’t hurt his reputation by continuing to play. He’s not what he once was, but Kelce is still an upper-echelon tight end who can be counted on as a productive player. His WAR of 4.90 is the best among tight ends for the last eight years, and his playoff receiving grade is the third-highest since PFF began tracking that stat back in 2006.
Strong Case: Chris Jones DT
Jones had a 3.24 WAR from 2017-24, which is second to only Aaron Donald during that stretch of time. Jones’ candidacy may suffer some from comparisons with Donald, but he also has a legitimate chance to make the cut, especially since PFF has consistently graded him high during that stretch. Jones does need a big bounce-back season this year to keep his candidacy legitimate, though, so that’s something to watch going forward.