Is this the end?

By Trevor Speetzen February 23, 2025 09:47 GMT+4 min read

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

With the Kansas City Chiefs losing this year’s Super Bowl, does that mean it’s time for a new rein in the NFL? While it’s highly unlikely that KC will regress so much next year, why not entertain the notion.

Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the entire Chiefs organization has experienced an enormous amount of success in the recent year. So much success that it took a dormant Chiefs franchise and turned them into an NFL powerhouse.

Kansas City could very well go on a Patriots-like run over the course of Patrick Mahomes’ career, but losing a Super Bowl could have a profound effect on an NFL team.

With Travis Kelce regressing each year and Chris Jones getting older, KC may not have any more easy paths to the Super Bowl. With that being said, what quarterback/team could topple Mahomes and the Chiefs?

First off, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow just had one of the best seasons of his career. Likewise, his wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase just had one of the best seasons of his career.

The Bengals are also trying desperately to retain their number two receiver, Tee Higgins, this offseason. If Cincy can keep their core receiving group together then their powerhouse offense could remain dominant for years to come.

The Bengals need to address their holes on defense as they had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2024. A couple smart moves on defense could make Burrow and the Bengals serious contenders in 2025.

Another AFC team that may take down the KC empire are Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens always seem to make the playoffs and Jackson has established himself as a great regular season player.

However, Jackson has historically struggled in the playoffs since coming into the NFL. The farthest he’s gone is the AFC championship game in 2023 and he ended up losing to Mahomes and the Chiefs.

If Jackson and the Ravens can solve their postseason woes, they could very well be the next AFC powerhouse.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have been so close for so many years to try and beat the Chiefs and they’ve only done so in the regular season.

However, with Allen and McDermott still in Buffalo and if they can get over the KC hump, then they might be able to carve out a dynasty of their own.

While the AFC has some star quarterbacks waiting in the wings, it’s pretty slim pickens in the NFC.

The San Francisco 49ers have come pretty close and the Philadelphia Eagles finally got theirs. The Eagles are the closest team so far that has a chance to create a dynasty as they’ve already made two Super Bowls in the past three seasons.

Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have been trying so hard the past two years to become that team in the NFC, but they still end up faltering down the stretch.

Whoever that team might, it’s almost certain that Kansas City will begin their decline. Or they might go on another historic run in the next 10 years.