Winning three Super Bowl titles in five years, most would think the Kansas City Chiefs would be given anything they wanted, especially from the city they play in. But the NFL's latest dynasty and its success over the last five years doesn't seem to be enough to sway voters in Jackson County, the location of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, into voting for a sales tax to help make upgrades to the stadium.
The Chiefs, along with the Kansas City Royals, whose Kauffman Stadium resides right next to Arrowhead, currently have a sales tax in place with the county through 2031. However, both teams were hoping to have the tax extended through 2064.
Voters, in a 58.1 percent against to 41.9 percent for, made it so there would be no extension, according to KMBC.com. This leaves the city's teams possibly looking towards other avenues for financial help, or even more drastic measures like moving the teams.
Chiefs team president Mark Donovan alluded to such an idea, saying, “I think they would have to consider leaving Kansas City.”
This is not the first time that such matters have happened between teams looking for financial help pertaining to a new stadium or renovations by means of taxpayers' money. The natural move that has followed has been said teams threatening to leave their current residence whenever their leases expire. For the Chiefs, that wouldn't be until Jan. 31, 2031.
A lot can happen in just under seven years. However, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt has stated that he would not sign a new 25-year lease with Arrowhead Stadium if the tax was not extended, per CBSSports. That means there's plenty of time to speculate about where the Chiefs could possibly relocate to, should that actually transpire.
St. Louis, Missouri
This is a fun one. The former Edward Jones Dome, now The Dome at America's Center, has been devoid of NFL football since 2015 when the Rams left for Los Angeles. It does still host professional football, however, with the UFL's St. Louis BattleHawks playing there.
What a bold and daring move this would be by the Chiefs, moving 241 miles east across the state of Missouri. Who knows how former Rams fans would react, but by 2031, the team would have been removed from the city for 16 years, where they would be nothing but an afterthought at that point.
Also, what must be considered is The Dome itself. It was built back in 1992, opened in 1995, and was later renovated in 2010. If this were even to be considered, the Chiefs would likely be asking for either a new stadium entirely or major renovations.
Kansas City, Kansas
I'm not even sure how this one would logistically work and where they could put a stadium, but this is humorous to consider as well, even more so than a move to St. Louis. The distance from each state's city is a hop, skip, and a jump away, borderlining each other. This would be the ultimate stick-it move to the neighboring Jackson County and state of Missouri, with perhaps Wyandotte County opening up their taxpayers' help to the Chiefs. From a fan perspective, this certainly works as there is only a 3.5-mile distance from city to city.
Vancouver or Toronto, Canada
As has been seen over the last several years, the NFL is making a point to schedule multiple international games throughout different countries during the season. Some have even speculated that the NFL would like to have a team overseas. That still seems a bit premature, plus a logistical nightmare. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the league would like to add or move a team up to the neighbors up north. The MLB, NBA, and NHL all make it work — so why not the NFL?
Salt Lake City, Utah
Hoping to stay out west to keep the AFC West division intact, maybe the Chiefs would look at beautiful Salt Lake City for their new home. It’s certainly a great place for the University of Utah and the Utes, who have one of the better home-field advantages in college football.
Outside of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, Utah doesn’t have any professional teams and seems to be clamoring for one, hoping that at least the MLB will consider them when expanding their league to more teams. But what about the NFL?
Portland, Oregon
Sticking with the theme of keeping the team westward, it doesn’t get much farther west than Portland, Oregon. Again, much like Salt Lake City, they only have one professional sports team in the Portland Trail Blazers and likewise are hoping to be the next city as part of MLB expansion.
The closest thing Oregon has to great football is the University of Oregon and Oregon State. The Chiefs could definitely change that, bringing what could be a trophy case full of Lombardi Trophies by then thanks to Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Follow Us
Subscribe