Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s last remaining career goal might surprise you
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Veach says his final career goal is to make a Super Bowl and enjoy it.
- Chiefs aim first to reclaim the AFC West after a disappointing 6-11 season.
- Veach highlights past comebacks and says winning the AFC West is the priority.
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season, their most disappointing one since head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach arrived in KC in 2013.
Still, the run of success during that span is undeniable, especially from 2018 on, when Patrick Mahomes took over as the club’s starting quarterback. From 2018-24, the Chiefs won three Super Bowls, and their worst finish was an overtime loss in the AFC Championship Game … twice.
Thus, the goal for someone involved in that kind of run may look different than, say, a new general manager taking over a team. Just ask Veach, who joined ESPN’s Peter Schrager on “The Schrager Hour” this week at the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix.
“If I had one goal left in my career — and I’ve been very blessed, and it’s been an amazing run — if I had one dream, professional goal, it would be to make a Super Bowl and to enjoy it,” Veach said. “Man, I look at what the Eagles did to us, and (they) can celebrate in the fourth quarter.
“Can you imagine that feeling? Like, Seattle had it last year, I guess, and when the Eagles beat us — just being in that.”
In Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs trailed the Philadelphia Eagles 40-6 with less than eight minutes left. In Super Bowl LX a month ago, the Seattle Seahawks led the New England Patriots with less than six minutes to play.
In each of Kansas City’s three recent Super Bowl wins (2019, 2022, 2023), it trailed by 10 points at some point. And all three came down to the wire.
“We were losing every single Super Bowl,” Veach said. “We were behind in the 49ers game, we came back, twice, and in the (first) Eagles game, we came back. (Against) the Eagles, (Harrison) Butker walk-off field goal kind of before the last kickoff and the overtime pass from (Patrick) Mahomes to Mecole Hardman, but it just happened so fast. You’re celebrating, but you’re not in the moment.
“It’s like I don’t even remember the games. You have to go back and watch them because everything is a blur. So if there’s one thing left, it would be really cool to win a Super Bowl and really enjoy it.”
Before getting too far ahead of himself, Veach reset the conversation, saying this year’s team hopes to first reclaim the division. “I’m going to start with let’s try and win the AFC West this year,” he said. “That’s a personal long-term goal and our division is tough enough and having to play the Chargers, the Broncos and (new Raiders general manager) John Spytek’s going to do a great job in Vegas.
“Having to play these teams twice a year is brutal.”
