KC Chiefs fall short in their 7th Super Bowl. Here’s how many times they’ve won & lost
Sunday, Feb. 9, marked Kansas City’s seventh time in the Super Bowl, and their fifth appearance in six years.
If they had won, KC would have become the fifth franchise to win at least five Super Bowls, joining the Steelers, Patriots, Cowboys and 49ers. The Chiefs are one of the few NFL franchises to go to three consecutive Super Bowls and also win back-to-back championships.
But with the loss, the Chiefs’ record in the Super Bowl now sits at 4-3. Here’s a look back at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl history.
Super Bowl LIX, 2025
Who did the Chiefs play? Philadelphia Eagles
Did the Chiefs win? No
With a chance to become the first NFL team to win three straight Super Bowls, the Chiefs’ game fell apart at the worst possible time.
The Eagles dominated both on offense and defense, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one of the worst games of his career in the Eagles’ 40-22 victory. They found themselves down 24-0 at halftime, and later 34-0 midway through the third quarter.
Mahomes was sacked six times, through two interceptions (one was returned for a touchdown) and fumbled once. The Eagles did not blitz a single time but consistently pressured Mahomes throughout the game, making it tough for the offense.
Philadelphia avenged their loss to Kansas City two years earlier, which kickstarted the Chiefs’ run to history (you can read more about that game below).
Super Bowl LVIII, 2024
Who did the Chiefs play? San Francisco 49ers
Did the Chiefs win? Yes
“Jackpot, Kansas City,” CBS play-by-play commentator Jim Nantz said after the Chiefs cemented their place as the NFL’s latest dynasty, winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2024.
The franchise claimed another championship at the hands of the 49ers, defeating San Francisco 25-22 after a regular season that had many doubting they’d repeat as champions.
Kansas City came into the 2024 Super Bowl as the No. 3 seed in the AFC, having played and defeated Buffalo and Baltimore on the road before their rematch against No. 1 seed San Francisco. The game needed overtime, and the teams used nearly every second of the extra quarter to see a conclusion.
The game-winning play saw Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enlist the “Tom and Jerry” play with 6 seconds left in the extra quarter, finding wide receiver Mecole Hardman open in the endzone to secure the victory. Mahomes earned his third Super Bowl MVP award.
Super Bowl LVII, 2023
Who did the Chiefs play? Philadelphia Eagles
Did the Chiefs win? Yes
The two No. 1 seeds met in Glendale, Arizona, with the two of the top defenses in the NFL that season. The game was anything but defensive.
In a high-scoring affair, Harrison Butker kicked the go-ahead field goal for the Chiefs with 8 seconds left to help the Chiefs win 38-35. There was some controversy, as fans believed the refs should not have called holding on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry with less than 2 minutes to go in the game.
Patrick Mahomes earned his second Super Bowl MVP, and Travis Kelce secured eternal bragging rights over his big brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce.
Super Bowl LV, 2021
Who did the Chiefs play? Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Did the Chiefs win? No
The Chiefs were the best team in the NFL during this season, finishing 14-2 and making a second consecutive appearance in the championship game.
Their luck ran out at that point. Key injuries to the offensive line led to Mahomes having to run for his life on every play, and drops from everybody, including trusted sources Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce only added to the misery.
The Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, cruised to a 31-9 victory over the Chiefs. Brady claimed his seventh ring, the most in NFL history and more than any other NFL franchise.
Super Bowl LIV, 2020
Who did the Chiefs play? San Francisco 49ers
Did the Chiefs win? Yes
“Do we have time to run Wasp?”
NFL Films had Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes mic’d up for this clash against the 49ers on Feb. 2, 2020, and they caught Mahomes talking to former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy about the huge play.
Kansas City was down 20-10 at the midway point of the fourth quarter when on third and 15, Mahomes backed up 10 yards and heaved the ball to wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 44-yard gain.
As Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian put it in his column about the play, “Seconds after defeat had appeared imminent, victory seemed almost inevitable.”
The Chiefs scored 21 points in the last 7 minutes and 13 seconds to defeat the 49ers 31-20. Damien Williams’ “run to immortality” iced the game with less than 2 minutes left, and Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, 50 years after the Chiefs last won the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl IV, 1970
Who did the Chiefs play? Minnesota Vikings
Did the Chiefs win? Yes
The Chiefs made their triumphant return to the Super Bowl against another NFC North foe. On Jan. 11, 1970, Kansas City kept “matriculating the ball down the field,” as then-Chiefs head coach and Hall of Famer Hank Stram said to the team during the game.
Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23-7. Despite being named in a federal gambling investigation, Dawson kept his cool and was named Super Bowl MVP.
“65 Power Toss Trap” was the defining play of the game. The play was a fake toss sweep mixed with an inside handoff to running back Mike Garrett. Garrett scored a touchdown and effectively sealed the game.
Stram was mic’d up for the play, and NFL Films put together the clip of his voice over the play.
The play is one of the most important plays in Chiefs history.
Super Bowl I, 1967
Who did the Chiefs play? Green Bay Packers
Did the Chiefs win? No
It was only right that the first Super Bowl ever featured the Chiefs. After all, the name of the championship game came from legendary Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt after seeing his daughter playing with a super ball, a bouncy toy popular with children.
The first Super Bowl, then called the AFL-NFL Championship game, occurred on Jan. 15, 1967. In front of 61,946 fans, the Chiefs got blown out. They lost 35-10 to the Packers.
Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson was sacked six times, and the Kansas City offense was 3-14 on third down. That is not a winning recipe for any game, much less the Super Bowl.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
