Seven important decisions that dragged the Chiefs from 2-14 to back-to-back Super Bowls
The Chiefs’ rise from punchline to parade is often shorthanded as the arrival of Patrick Mahomes, which makes for a tidy and shamelessly incomplete story.
The front office, coaching staff, roster and much of the rest of the organization has been completely remade. A gatrillion decisions had to be made. Most of them had to be correct.
Here, then, in descending order, are the most important seven.
7. Twelve teams decided not to hire Eric Bieniemy
This one is out of the Chiefs’ hands, obviously, but by continually passing up an overly qualified candidate from the NFL’s best coaching tree — the Jets have done it twice now! — the Chiefs have essentially had two head coaches to manage Patrick Mahomes’ ascent.
Reid and Bieniemy are excellent complements to each other, with specific strengths that pull the offense and Mahomes forward in different ways.
Bieniemy is last voice in Mahomes’ helmet before the snap, and Mahomes has consistently credited the offensive coordinator with his personal and team successes.
6. The trade for QB Alex Smith
We’re using this as a general proxy for the Chiefs’ enormous roster improvement after the 2012 season.
Between the last snap of that season and the first snap of 2013, the Chiefs added Smith, left tackle Eric Fisher and tight end Travis Kelce. Quickly after that came cornerback Marcus Peters, offensive lineman Mitch Morse, defensive back Ron Parker, corner Sean Smith, receiver Jeremy Maclin, linebacker Dee Ford and safety Daniel Sorensen.
Then defensive tackle Chris Jones, receiver Tyreek Hill, running back Kareem Hunt and another quarterback we’ll talk about soon. A roster largely devoid of talent after the top six or so quickly became a consistent playoff team.
Smith was the single most important piece in those early years. He steadied the most important position, and one where the Chiefs had been hopelessly behind their rivals. He also provided a level of diligence and professionalism that was particularly needed on offense.
5. Signing Tyrann Mathieu
This one required some level of luck. The Chiefs had been aggressive in negotiating a trade with the Seahawks for safety Earl Thomas a season earlier. Thomas broke his leg days before a trade may have been finalized.
Had the trade happened a week before, the Chiefs would have damaged goods. Even if we can imagine a world in which Thomas would’ve been healthy with the Chiefs, they would not have had the draft capital to trade for defensive end Frank Clark or the same need to pursue Mathieu.
Mathieu was the perfect man for the Chiefs’ moment, both with his All-Pro play and next-level ability to lift those around him.
The Chiefs’ trade of Peters was made in large part to clear the locker room for Mahomes’ voice to lead and someone else to fill the void on defense. Mathieu has been that man and in just two seasons has put himself on a path for the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor and a potential speech in Canton.
4. Spagnuolo replaces Bob Sutton
The move came a year too late, if we’re honest, though Eric Berry’s injury had an outsized role in torpedoing the 2018 defense.
But either way, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and an entirely new staff of defensive assistants brought a renewed organization and purpose. The division that had grown both within the defense and away from the offense dissolved (almost entirely).
Mathieu and other new faces, like Clark and veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens, had a big role in this, too. But the defense had an immediately different level of confidence and purpose with the new coaches.
Starting with the Chargers game in Mexico City last season, the Chiefs defense went from an anvil everyone waited to drop to a consistent reason the Chiefs won. The same appears to be happening now.
3. Brett Veach promoted to GM
The roster was already improving, as we’ve mentioned before and will again below. John Dorsey had an important role in this that should not be dismissed.
But when Veach replaced Dorsey as general manager, it brought a synergy between GM and coach that Reid had been looking for since before arriving in Kansas City.
Reid has often said his biggest mistake in Philadelphia came at the end when he effectively took on the roles of both coach and GM. Dorsey did the personnel side admirably, but there is no question that Veach and Reid have a better synergy.
Even if we ignore Veach’s role in drafting Mahomes (and we’ll get to that soon), Veach’s front office brought in Mathieu, Clark, Hitchens, safety Juan Thornhill, linebacker Damien Williams, receivers Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defender Emmanuel Ogbah, corner L’Jarius Sneed and many others.
They’ve navigated revolving doors at both running back and along the offensive line, and remade the team from Pray For Patrick to something much more balanced.
2. Trading up to draft Mahomes
Mahomes changed everything about the Chiefs. His talent pushed an already good team to greatness, overwhelming (some) fan anxiety and (almost all of) the feelings that the franchise is cursed.
It was a risk, and could have been a spectacular disaster. They already had a good quarterback, were desperate for defense, and spent two first round picks on a guy they would not play for a year.
Mahomes made it work first by keeping quiet and earning respect as a rookie, and then changing what was possible after that.
The franchise that had been known largely for settling for someone else’s backup rewrote its history by drafting a man who may go down as the best to ever play the position.
It was bold, and it altered the NFL. Many of you would have this No. 1, and I would not argue you passionately. I would just present the following.
1. Crennel and Pioli replaced by Reid and Dorsey
This is when everything became possible, including the trade up to draft Mahomes.
Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt didn’t just remake his franchise’s leadership. He also changed the way that leadership would report to him, protecting the organization from the kind of infighting and division that had come to define Scott Pioli’s time in charge.
Reid’s mind and respect put the Chiefs at an advantage over virtually all of their rivals. Dorsey, and later Veach, transformed what might have been the league’s slowest roster into one that better fit Reid’s priorities and talents.
Reid, who succeeded the fired Romeo Crennel as head coach, found a team desperate for leadership, and the results came right away. The NFL is known for parity, but since Reid’s hire only the Patriots have won more games. Give Reid one more year, and he’ll likely be on top.
When Reid came here, it looked weird to see him in red, and not the green he’d worn for 14 years in Philadelphia. But he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame because of what he’s done here, and when he gives that speech it’ll be the clips of him in Philadelphia that will look strange.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.