A year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs watched Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals hoist the Lamar Hunt Trophy on their home field. The Chiefs choked away a 21-3 lead at home with a third straight Super Bowl firmly in their grasp. The outlook for the future of the Chiefs felt somewhat bleak.
The franchise was looking at another year of late-round draft picks, a tight salary cap situation and several star players needing new contracts. Most of all, there was fear that perhaps the Chiefs window was closing as teams like the Bengals and Buffalo Bills passed them by with rookie quarterback contracts.