Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco ... [+]
Tyreek Hill told ESPN he’s aiming for seven titles, and when Chris Jones signed his contact extension, he referenced the Chicago Bulls dynasty depicted in The Last Dance.
When asked Sunday about the dynasty talk surrounding his team, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was more measured.
“As far as the talk about the number of championships, you guys know how I roll with that. I’m not big on it,” Reid said. “On the other hand, I appreciate their confidence.”
The confidence is understandable, considering the Super Bowl LIV champions return 18 of 22 starters this season. It’s why the team has stated its mantra to “run it back.”
But what makes the Chiefs so tantalizing is not only their prospects for 2020, but also for years to come.
They have a unique combination of talent, youth and players under contract.
That starts with arguably the NFL’s best player at the most important position. After Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year extension that could be worth half a billion dollars, the 24 year old, who already has earned NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP honors, is under contract for the entire duration of his prime and then some.
Because of the way Mahomes structured his contract, shortly after he re-signed, the Chiefs extended their best defensive player, the 26-year-old Jones, with a four-year, $80 million deal that takes Jones through the end of his 20s.
“It was the understanding that me and Pat have,” Jones said. “We both have the same goal: Create a dynasty and build something special.”
It’s not just the contracts of this offseason that has the Chiefs hopeful of becoming the next New England Patriots.
Jones’ defensive linemate Frank Clark is signed to a five-year, $104 million deal that will last the 27 year old until he’s 30.
That means the Chiefs should be able to rush the passer and complete passes — two of the most important qualities of winning football — for the foreseeable future.
Catching some of those passes will be Travis Kelce, who just signed an extension through 2025. Hill, a 26-year-old speedster, is signed through 2022, and the exciting, young wide receiver he just bested in a race, 22-year-old Mecole Hardman, has a rookie deal that goes through the same year.
Mahomes was asked whether he encourages that kind of bravado or tries to get his teammates to take things day by day.
“It’s a little bit of both,” Mahomes said. “You love that guys have the goals. They want to be in Kansas City for a long time and they want to win championships. They don’t want to be average. They want to be great every single year.”
Mahomes has time to go deep to his great targets because one of the game’s best blockers, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, is signed through 2022 as well. He’s just 31 and plays a position, in which tackles often play successfully until their mid-30s.
Perhaps the biggest key for the Chiefs’ continued success is not any of the players.
Reid is the conductor of the orchestra, and the offensive mastermind has led the Chiefs to five straight seasons of double-digit wins and four straight division titles.
He, though, is 62 and nearing an age when many people in any profession — let alone one as stressful as head coach — hang it up.
But Reid said he has no imminent plans to retire, something Mahomes inquired about because it factored into his decision to tie himself to the Chiefs for an unprecedented amount of time.
“I haven’t got to that point mentally where I’m thinking about retirement. One of the great things about this job is when you look forward to coming to work and to deal with the players and coaches,” Reid said. “Listen, if it takes me into my 70s, then let’s roll.”
