For over a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs, led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have been the NFL’s dominant powerhouse.
Multiple Super Bowl appearances, a league MVP, and a consistently elite offense have cemented their place among the modern NFL dynasties. Yet, Sunday night’s 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans has prompted some analysts to question whether that dominance is beginning to erode.
On his program The Herd, Colin Cowherd framed the Chiefs’ decline as a slow unraveling, akin to the final chapter of Muhammad Ali’s career. It isn’t a sudden collapse, Cowherd argues, but rather a gradual slide that’s been building over the past season.
“They look a little slower… Travis Kelce with another big drop, no pass rush, the O-line got pushed around, they don’t have a running game,” Cowherd said.
“This is how dynasties end. They don’t fall off a cliff. They dominate for years, go to Super Bowls, win Super Bowls, and then they start winning really close games, that was Kansas City last year, and then they start losing all those close games. Oh, wait, that’s Kansas City this year.”
Cowherd also highlighted an alarming statistic: the Chiefs are 0-4 this season when Mahomes is their leading rusher. While Mahomes is one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, this stat emphasizes how the rest of the roster has struggled to perform consistently in key areas, including offensive line play and the running game.
From drops by star tight end Travis Kelce to inconsistent pass protection and a ground game that has failed to gain traction, the Chiefs’ normally lethal attack has looked uncharacteristically vulnerable.
Even Mahomes, who has routinely carried the team through adversity, appears impacted by a roster that hasn’t performed to the championship standards set over the past decade.
A dynasty at a crossroads
While one loss doesn’t define a season, the Chiefs’ pattern of close defeats and a slow start to 2025 has sparked discussion across the league.
Analysts from ESPN, NFL Network, and CBS Sports have noted that dynasties rarely end in a single season-they tend to fade gradually as injuries, aging, and roster turnover catch up to even the most talented teams. Kansas City’s struggles this season reflect those classic warning signs.
The offensive line has been a consistent concern, with key starters struggling to protect Mahomes against both the blitz and standard pass rush schemes. The running game, once a reliable complement to Mahomes‘ mobility, has largely disappeared, placing even more pressure on the quarterback to produce under duress.
In addition, Kelce‘s occasional drops and lapses in focus have diminished the efficiency of what had been one of the most feared passing combinations in the league.
Cowherd summed it up bluntly: “Trust your eyes… Kansas City needs a reboot. Maybe even a rebuild.”
While Mahomes remains an elite quarterback and the Chiefs are still competitive, the NFL is sensing opportunity. Teams now believe that the Chiefs’ aura of invincibility has weakened, and opponents are game-planning with confidence they haven’t shown in previous seasons.
For now, Kansas City’s dynasty isn’t over-but the cracks are becoming impossible to ignore. How the team responds over the remaining weeks of the season will determine whether this is merely a blip or the beginning of a transitional period that could reshape the AFC landscape.
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