NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — Even as the confetti was flying and the Philadelphia Eagles were celebrating their Super Bowl triumph on the field of the Superdome, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs already were thinking about getting back to the big game next year.
They just might look a whole lot different.
The Chiefs have 28 players who will be free agents this offseason, many of whom contributed not only to this Super Bowl run but the two championships that preceded it. And that doesn't include players such as Travis Kelce, who'll spend the coming weeks and maybe even months deciding whether to retire or make another run.
"It's if he wants to put in that grind, because it takes it to go out there and play 20 games, whatever it is, and get to the Super Bowl, and he's done enough to be a gold-jacket guy and first-ballot Hall of Famer," Mahomes said when asked about whether his buddy might call it quits. "But I know he still has love for the game, and he'll get to spend some time with his family and make that decision on his own."
What might factor into it? The fact that Kelce's final game would be such a humiliating 40-22 loss to the Eagles.
The long-dominant Chiefs were trying to win an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Instead, they were dominated by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and their ferocious defense in a game that was never truly close.
Mahomes and Kelce both lamented the performance as the worst of their season.
Might have been the worst of their careers.
“We just couldn’t find that spark,” Kelce said. “We couldn't find that momentum.”
Mahomes was sacked six times by an Eagles pass rush that had its way with Kansas City's offensive line, which never solved its problem protecting his blind side this season. And the two-time NFL MVP threw a pair of interceptions — including a pick-6 — and fumbled the ball away in a performance that left Mahomes blaming himself for the outcome of the game.
“I feel like I didn’t play to my standard, just with especially the struggles that I had early in the season,” Mahomes said, "and so there’s things that I have to get better at, and they kind of showed on the biggest stage.”
The chances of a three-peat are gone. Now, the Chiefs have to recalibrate as they begin their pursuit of another title.
“It was never about the three-peat. It was about living in the moment, just getting this one done,” center Creed Humphrey said. "It hurts not getting the job done no matter what.”
The Chiefs will get Rashee Rice back from a season-ending injury, and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy had a Super Bowl performance for the ages — eight catches for 157 yards and two scores. But fellow wide receivers Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson are free agents, and someone will need to replace them.
Trey Smith will be a free agent, and while general manager Brett Veach said last week that he hopes to keep the standout left guard, his asking price might be too much. But the bigger problem is left tackle, where the Chiefs tried Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris without any luck, and where left-guard Joe Thuney struggled as a replacement in the Super Bowl.
The four-time All-Pro tight end professed his love for football several times leading up to the Super Bowl, but the 35-year-old's performance against Philadelphia underscored that his playing days are nearing the end. Kelce has laid the groundwork for a post-playing career in TV, and his lucrative podcast with his brother, Jason Kelce, would help keep him busy in retirement.
Andy Reid made it clear that he intends to coach the Chiefs next season and possibly beyond, preemptively ending any talk that the 66-year-old might call it a career. His offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, and defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, both had interviews for head-coaching jobs but were passed over, so the staff should return largely intact next season.
The Chiefs and Royals had a sales tax measure voted down last year that would have helped to pay for upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium. Now, the teams are going their own direction when it comes to their future homes. The Chiefs must decide relatively soon whether it makes sense to upgrade their popular but aging facility or build anew — perhaps with a roof so they could host Super Bowls and Final Fours — and where such a stadium would be located.
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