Former NFL MVP and Super Bowl contender Cam Newton made it very clear that the Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty could be coming to an end. The team suffered a devastating 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night, with Patrick Mahomes performing below his usual level of excellence.
It’s already created questions about whether Kansas City still has any hope of reaching this year’s NFL Playoffs. While they do, it’s a slim chance they’ll qualify for the AFC side of the playoff bracket, with seven teams already projected to make it and the Chiefs on the AFC bubble.
Meanwhile, it’s prompted curiosity about whether this team, once considered the standard in the NFL, can bounce back from this disappointing season, or if they will need to tear it down and rebuild. While on ESPN’s “First Take,” Newton didn’t hold back with his opinion.
During his remarks, Newton contended that other teams in the AFC have younger quarterbacks that are “getting better,” including the Denver Broncos with Bo Nix, the Jacksonville Jaguars with Trevor Lawrence, and the Houston Texans with CJ Stroud. All three of those quarterbacks’ teams are currently projected to make the AFC playoffs, but there are still games left on the schedule.
“Patrick Mahomes has been playing elite ever since he got the starting nod for Kansas City,” Newton said on Monday, adding, “Guys around those [other] teams are picking up their level of play, which in essence will point the finger back at the Kansas City Chiefs to say, ‘Are you guys going to keep staying ahead of the game?’ and that’s gonna be the biggest question.”
Newton’s take arrived moments before his colleague, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, predicted that this would be Travis Kelce’s final season with the Chiefs, as he’ll leave to enjoy a new life with Taylor Swift after winning several Super Bowl rings. Meanwhile, Mahomes is 30, which isn’t necessarily old by any NFL standard, seeing as there are star QBs still playing past their 40s.
However, Newton’s warning is clear: the Chiefs need to keep their roster on par with the other rising talents in the NFL.
After falling to the Texans, Mahomes and the Chiefs are now 6-7 and still on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in. During ESPN’s “First Take,” they revealed Kansas City has a 14 percent chance of making the playoffs. They’ll likely need to win the rest of their games and have other results play out in their favor.
