Chiefs’ Strategic Approach: Balancing Present Success with Future Prospects

Chiefs’ Strategic Approach: Balancing Present Success with Future Prospects

NEW ORLEANS — As the 2024 trade deadline loomed, the Kansas City Chiefs found themselves at a pivotal crossroads. They had the opportunity to bolster their secondary and strengthen their quest to become the first NFL team to clinch three consecutive Super Bowl titles. The New Orleans Saints were offering veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore in trade discussions. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Lattimore was precisely the kind of player the Chiefs needed.

However, the Chiefs weren’t the only team interested. The Washington Commanders were also in the race, and as the bidding war intensified, the Chiefs decided to step back. Ultimately, the Saints traded Lattimore to Washington in exchange for a package of picks, including third- and fourth-rounders in the 2025 draft.

For the Chiefs, acquiring a player of Lattimore’s caliber would have been a significant boost. Yet, under the guidance of general manager Brett Veach, the Chiefs have adhered to a philosophy that prioritizes long-term success over short-term gains. Since Veach took over as GM in 2017 and Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have consistently avoided sacrificing future prospects for immediate rewards.

Veach explained, “On one hand, there is the historical aspect of going for a three-peat, but we’ve operated as if we want to be in a similar scenario next year and compete for a championship. There’s a point where as an organization, it goes from being aggressive to being risky. We’ve done a good job of amping the aggressiveness to the edge but not going over the edge.”

The Chiefs’ pursuit of a three-peat has been a driving force. They began discussing it immediately after securing their second consecutive Super Bowl victory last year. “You can’t go in with the mindset of being all-in for one year,” Veach emphasized. “We want to find that delicate balance of being cautiously aggressive every year and going for it, but not at the expense of derailing the cap situation or wrecking our draft in future years.”

In this regard, the Chiefs approached their quest for a three-peat as they would any other championship pursuit. They constructed a roster around Mahomes that they believed could secure another Super Bowl victory. So far, their strategy has paid off. The Chiefs concluded the regular season with a 15-2 record, tied with the Detroit Lions for the NFL’s best record. They clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West championship, secured the AFC’s top playoff seed, and advanced to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt stated, “We’ve tried to be thoughtful about making sure we’re giving ourselves the best chance to win this year, but also putting ourselves in a position where we can win next year and the year after that. We want to put the best team we can on the field every year.”

The Chiefs are the ninth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, but they are the first to advance to a third consecutive title game. Defensive tackle Chris Jones led fans in a “three-peat” chant at the team’s Super Bowl parade in February, and he reiterated that it was the theme of the Chiefs’ season. “Chasing history is all part of it,” Jones said. “If we can get this three-peat and just continue adding into the legacy of the Kansas City Chiefs, I think that would be a huge accomplishment not only for us but for the NFL.”

Despite their focus on history, the Chiefs have maintained a long-term perspective. With Mahomes as their quarterback, they have reached the Super Bowl in five of his seven seasons, boasting a 3-1 record in those games. Mahomes signed a contract extension before the 2020 season that keeps him with the Chiefs through 2031. Despite being the NFL’s only active quarterback with more than one Super Bowl title, Mahomes ranks as the 12th-highest paid player at his position by average salary.

The Chiefs’ commitment to Mahomes was clear when he signed his 10-year, $450 million extension. The promise was implicit: they would use the savings from Mahomes’ contract to build a championship-caliber roster around him each season. “The philosophy was ‘Win every year,’ and we’ve done a good job of that,” Mahomes said. “They’re going to try and maybe overspend a little bit, but they’re not going to go crazy to where you’re going to be hurting [future seasons]. I want to be able to win it every year I’m here.”

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Veach anticipates limited activity in free agency due to a tight salary cap situation. The Chiefs are estimated to have about $11 million to spend, according to Overthecap.com, but they face a lengthy list of potential free agents, including wide receivers Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and JuJu Smith-Schuster, among others.

• Wide Receivers: Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster
• Running Back: Kareem Hunt
• Guard: Trey Smith
• Linebacker: Nick Bolton
• Defensive Lineman: Tershawn Wharton

Veach emphasized the importance of retaining their better draft picks and making wise selections. “We’re not going to have a lot of money in free agency,” he said. “Our free agency next year is going to be our draft. So it’s hard to move one of those [better] picks, especially for a one-year rental.”

Injuries have also posed challenges for the Chiefs this season. They were without key players like Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Isiah Pacheco for significant portions of the season. To address these deficiencies, the Chiefs added veterans like Smith-Schuster, Hopkins, and D.J. Humphries.

Veach noted, “We tried to be as aggressive as we could. None of those moves put us back anything. They didn’t cost us [high] draft picks, and they didn’t cost us a lot of money.”

Starting cornerback Jaylen Watson also suffered an injury midseason but has returned for the playoffs. His absence was a significant factor in the Chiefs’ consideration of Lattimore. However, their decision not to meet the Commanders’ offer underscores their commitment to their long-term strategy.

Veach concluded, “We were aggressive. We were going to trade a pick, a good pick. But when it became multiple picks and higher picks, then it became risky. To go somewhere in trying to three-peat, that would have crossed the barrier from aggressive to really putting the organization at future risk was really something we weren’t willing to do.”

The Chiefs will have four draft picks in the top 100 this year, thanks to a trade that sent veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. If they draft wisely and make smart decisions with their available free agent money, they might be aiming for a four-peat next year. If so, they can attribute much of their success to the strategic moves they made—and didn’t make—this season.