The Kansas City Chiefs are known in 2025 for their persistent dynasty, but that has not always been the case throughout their history as a franchise. Coming off their franchise-best third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, we will rank the 10 greatest Kansas City Chiefs teams of all time.
The Chiefs have not been around as long as many other organizations, but still have a decorated lineage. The Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes era is undeniably the greatest stretch in franchise history, but Kansas City has recognized a lot of success before. The team has two AFL Championships — the highest possible achievement before the NFL-AFL merger — and four Super Bowls in its all-time record books.
While the Chiefs have had many talented players grace their organization, most unfortunately did not have enough supporting talent to make up an all-time great team. Franchise legends such as Christian Okoye, Jamaal Charles, Priest Holmes and Tony Gonzalez failed to make a single team on the list as victims of unfortunate timing. As such, many of the best players to suit up in red and gold were left off the list of the 10 greatest teams in Kansas City history.
Regardless, the Chiefs still dominated multiple eras. Like any team, they experienced extended droughts as an organization, but are still one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Most of the team's success came in the 2020s, but before Reid and Mahomes, there was Hank Stram, Marty Schottenheimer and Len Dawson.
10. 1993 – The comeback kids

Regular season record: 11-5
Season result: Lost in AFC Championship Game
The 1993 season was a year full of comebacks for the Chiefs in multiple facets. Despite coming off three consecutive 10-win seasons, they made wholesale changes in the previous offseason, notably adding quarterback Joe Montana and running back Marcus Allen. Many believed that Montana and Allen, who were 36 and 32, respectively, were in the twilight of their careers. Fans particularly wrote off Montana, who was recovering from an elbow injury that had limited him to just one game in 1992.
Despite all the questions, both players returned to their vintage form throughout the season to lead a rejuvenated Kansas City offense. Montana and Allen surprisingly made the Pro Bowl at the end of the year, with Allen winning the Comeback Player of the Year award. They went 11-5 in the regular season and advanced to the AFC Championship game, where their season ultimately ended against the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs would not advance past the Divisional Round again until 2018, making the 1993 squad one of the most under-appreciated teams in franchise history.
9. 2018 – Beginning of a Chiefs dynasty
Regular season record: 12-4
Season result: Lost in AFC Championship Game
Patrick Mahomes has spoiled Chiefs fans in 2025, but was a complete revelation once he emerged as a starter in 2018. Kansas City spent a high first-round pick on him in 2017, but was making a considerable gamble by banking on him over proven starter Alex Smith. The gamble more than paid off, with Mahomes winning the league MVP award in his first year as the starter, becoming the first player in franchise history to do so.
Like all great quarterbacks, Mahomes elevated the levels of everyone around him. Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill enjoyed career years with him under center, causing all three to become first-team All-Pros at the end of the year. Left tackle Mitchell Schwartz also became an All-Pro for the first time in his career, while Eric Fisher, Anthony Sherman and Dee Ford joined them at the Pro Bowl. The Chiefs went 12-4 in the regular season and lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, where Mahomes dropped his first battle against Tom Brady in an epic back-and-forth duel.
8. 1966 – New beginnings
Regular season record: 11-2
Season result: Lost Super Bowl I
As an organization, the Chiefs' first league title came in 1962. However, they were then known as the Dallas Texans, making their first AFL Championship as the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1966 season. While still the same team that won the championship just four years before, reaching the pinnacle with their new branding is a significant moment in the franchise's history. Kansas City went 11-2-1 in the regular season, which was then its best record to date.
The Chiefs boasted an elite offense in 1996, led by quarterback Len Dawson, running back Mike Garrett, receiver Otis Taylor and tight end Jim Tyrer. They bulldozed through the regular season before avenging a previous loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFL Championship Game. That victory allowed them to compete in Super Bowl I, where they eventually lost to the Green Bay Packers. Only two teams can say they competed in the first-ever Super Bowl, and Kansas City did it in just its seventh season as a franchise, and fourth as the Chiefs.
7. 2020 – Another franchise record

Regular season record: 14-2
Season result: Lost Super Bowl LV
One year after ending their 50-year-long Super Bowl drought in 2019, the Chiefs made it back to the big game one year later. They failed to repeat as world champions, but that did not diminish the accomplishments they made during the regular season. In his third season as a starter, Mahomes led Kansas City to a 14-2 record, setting another franchise record with the most regular-season wins in a single season.
The season marked a personal best for Kelce, who set a new career high with 1,416 receiving yards in 2020. Several other players, including safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen, also enjoyed career years. The overall improvements carried Kansas City to its sixth consecutive playoff appearance, tying another team record. While they ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, it was clear to the rest of the league who the new top dog was. They might not have won it all, but the 2020 Chiefs are easily one of the greatest teams in franchise history.
6. 1962 – End of an era
Regular season record: 11-3
Season result: Won AFL Championship
Many teams struggle in their early years as a franchise, but the Dallas Texans managed to win their first title in just their third year. After two middling seasons to begin their journey, the Texans shockingly went 11-3 in 1962 before dramatically beating the Houston Oilers in the AFL Championship Game. The season marked their final year in Dallas before relocating and rebranding to the Kansas City Chiefs in the ensuing offseason.
After going just 6-8 in 1961, legendary coach Hank Stram kicked the team into fifth gear. Behind the surge of quarterback Len Dawson, the Texans led the league in scoring while simultaneously allowing the fewest points per game. Stram ended the year as AFL Coach of the Year, with running back Curtis McClinton taking home the Rookie of the Year award. In arguably the best year of his career, Dawson led the league in passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Twelve players made the year-end All-Star list, as the season occurred well before the formation of the Pro Bowl.
5. 2024 – Just short of history
Regular season record: 15-2
Season result: Lost Super Bowl LIX
Older fans might disagree, but the 2024 season might be the strangest in Chiefs history. Coming off another Super Bowl win, Kansas City entered the year as obvious title favorites, but did not look like it early on. Their elite offense was hampered by injuries, but Mahomes' late-game heroics and an elite defense still powered them to a 9-0 start. Through a series of nail-biting victories and thrilling comebacks, they ended up at 15-2 to set a new record for most wins in a regular season.
Unlike previous years, only five players were selected for the Pro Bowl. Mahomes was notably excluded, marking the first time in his career that he did not make the cut. They were never dominant, but Kansas City found a way to win virtually every game until Super Bowl LIX, where they completely fell apart. Regardless, their regular-season accomplishments and thrilling year-long highlight reel cannot be denied. Depending on how the 2025 season unfolds, the 2024 Chiefs might be remembered as one of the greatest, yet most mystifying, teams of all time.
4. 1969 – Chiefs' first Super Bowl
Regular season record: 11-3
Season result: Won Super Bowl IV
The first time is always special, and the Chiefs' first Super Bowl season is still one of their greatest teams in franchise history. Three years after losing Super Bowl I, Kansas City went 11-3 and got over the hump, beating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The crowning victory is still one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, with the Vikings, who had the best regular-season record in the league, widely expected to take the throne.
The season was almost not supposed to happen, as Dawson battled injuries all season. Yet, backup quarterback Mike Livingston filled in admirably, throwing for 1,123 yards despite not playing a single snap the year before. Both quarterbacks made the Pro Bowl, but the defense was the true soul of the team. Led by All-Pros Bobby Bell, Johnny Robinson and Buck Buchanan, Kansas City allowed just 12.6 points per game in the regular season. The 1969 Chiefs team's defense is still statistically one of the greatest and most dominant in NFL history.
3. 2023 – Undeniable

Regular season record: 11-6
Season result: Won Super Bowl LVIII
The Chiefs' 2022 Super Bowl victory firmly established their dynasty, placing them at the top where they became the enemy No. 1 for the other 31 teams in the league. Nobody wanted to see them win anymore, but it did not matter. Kansas City was not as dominant in the 2023 regular season, going 11-6, but took over in the postseason yet again to claim another title. They became just the ninth team in NFL history to win consecutive Super Bowls.
While not the dominant offensive force that they became known to be — ranking 15th in the league in scoring after finishing 2nd in 2023 — Kansas City's defense took a massive leap. After years of being a liability, the defense suddenly emerged as one of the most formidable units in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo coached them to allowing the second-fewest points and second-fewest yards per game, both substantial leaps from the year before. The Chiefs managing to stay on top despite a seismic shift in play style is the epitome of what separates good teams from the all-time greatest in league history.
2. 2019 – Setting the tone
Regular season record: 12-4
Season result: Won Super Bowl LIV
Of all the dynasties in league history, the first win is typically the most important. For the Chiefs, that notion rang true, as their 2019 season was arguably their greatest team of all time. After going 12-4 in the regular season and ending the year on a nine-game win streak, Mahomes led Kansas City to average 39 points per game in the playoffs and clinch his first Super Bowl. In doing so, Mahomes won the Super Bowl LIV MVP award to become the first player in NFL history to win an MVP and Super Bowl MVP award before turning 25.
After immediately hitting the ground running by becoming the MVP in 2018, Mahomes set the tone with a championship in his second season as the starter. Reaching the pinnacle so quickly set the tone for what would become the expectation for him in his career as he established one of the league's most dominant dynasties. Six players were selected to the Pro Bowl, including two first-time nominations from defensive end Frank Clark and return specialist Mecole Hardman.
1. 2022 – Total dominance
Regular season record: 14-3
Season result: Won Super Bowl LVII
Many Chiefs fans believe the 2019 season was their greatest team in franchise history, but it is difficult to deny the 2022 squad as the best. Although perhaps not as dynamic offensively as in previous years, Kansas City was consistently dominant throughout the season en route to winning its second Super Bowl in four years. They went 14-3 in the regular season to tie the franchise record for most wins, including a 9-1 run following their Week 8 bye.
Despite losing All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill in the previous offseason, Mahomes threw for a career-high 5,250 passing yards on the year. He added 41 touchdowns and a career-high four scores on the ground to claim his second MVP award. The Chiefs engaged in three nip-and-tuck battles in the playoffs and won each game by a single score, including a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. Of the Chiefs' first three title-winning seasons in the Reid-Mahomes era, the 2022 season was their most dominant and the greatest team in franchise history.