Before the reign of incumbent starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs had just one Super Bowl that dated back to the moon landing, but today, they have three Super Bowl rings.
Today, the Chiefs are a powerhouse in the NFL with no signs of slowing down.
Over the years, the Chiefs had a collection of quarterbacks, including Joe Montana. Still, they couldn’t win the big game outside Super Bowl IV.
Here, we’ll reflect on that game and the other big games the Chiefs have won throughout their history as a franchise, which dates back to the very first Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers.
Played on January 11, 1970, the Chiefs went up against the Joe Kapp-led Minnesota Vikings.
This one-sided affair saw the Chiefs capture their first Super Bowl title, winning 23-7. The Chiefs held off the Vikings from scoring until the third quarter, where Dave Osborn had a four-yard rushing score.
The Chiefs were led by quarterback Len Dawson, who completed 12 passes for 142 yards, a touchdown, and 11 rushing yards. Their touchdowns came from a Mike Garrett five-yard rush and Dawson connecting with Otis Taylor in the fourth quarter on a 46-yard strike.
The Vikings had five turnovers in the game and never had a chance to rebound.
Unlike their first Super Bowl win, the Chiefs second, which came 50 years later, had a chance to go in the other direction—a San Francisco 49ers win.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was still relatively new to the league, but that didn’t stop the Chiefs dominance throughout that season, going 15-4, including the postseason. Unfortunately for them, the 49ers were just as potent with an incredible defense.
Mahomes threw for 2867 yards and two touchdowns, but he also added two interceptions which only helped the 49ers.
At halftime, the game was tied 10-10, but the 49ers scored ten unanswered in the third quarter thanks to a field goal and rushing score from Raheem Mostert.
Now 10 in the final quarter, the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered within the final 6:13 of the game. The scores included a pass to tight end Travis Kelce, a five-yard catch-and-run from Damien Williams, and a 38-yard rush from Williams with 1:12 to go.
The Chiefs and Mahomes legacy was born. They won 31-20.
A few years later, the Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl with Mahomes under center. This time, they were against another potent offense in the Philadelphia Eagles, led by Jalen Hurts.
This game was razor-thin all night, with the Chiefs finally coming out on top 38-35. A few key plays set the Chiefs up to win here.
First, rookie linebacker Nick Bolton had a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in the second quarter, which tied the game 14-14.
Then, there were two other plays—a fantastic punt return from Kadarius Toney and a holding call on the Eagles that cornerback James Bradberry that he later admitted to, but considering the game’s stakes, many argued whether it should be called.
Nonetheless, the Eagle’s 24-14 halftime lead shrunk as they were outscored 24-11 in the second half.
Tied 35-35 with 0:08 to go, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker booted a 27-yard field goal to cap off the Chiefs second Super Bowl win in three years.
With three Super Bowl wins, the Chiefs are tied for fourth all-time with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders. The Chiefs are dominant right now in the NFL and are the odds-on favorite to repeat for the 2023-24 season. Washington and the Raiders, collectively, haven’t won since 1991, and the Chiefs could get their fourth soon to tie with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
Player | No. of Rings | Years Won |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008 |
New England Patriots | 6 | 2011, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018 |
San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994 |
Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995 |
Green Bay Packers | 4 | 1966, 1967, 1996, 2010 |
New York Giants | 4 | 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011 |
Oakland Raiders | 3 | 1976, 1980, 1983 |
Washington Redskins | 3 | 1982, 1987, 1991 |
Denver Broncos | 3 | 1997, 1998, 2015 |
Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 2000, 2012 |
The Chiefs have appeared in six AFC Championship Games and are 3-3 in those matchups. Two of the wins came with Mahomes in which they went on to win the Super Bowl, and the other with Mahomes was a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals before they went on to lose to the Los Angeles Rams.
As you can see from the chart below, many teams with more appearances than the Chiefs are tied for 10th all-time.
Player | Finals Appearances | Winning Percentage | Years Won |
San Francisco 49ers | 18 | .388 | 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012, 2019 |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | .500 | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1995, 2005, 2008, 2010 |
New England Patriots | 15 | .733 | 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
Dallas Cowboys | 14 | .571 | 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1992, 1993, 1995 |
Los Angeles Rams | 11 | .454 | 1979, 1999, 2001, 2018, 2021 |
Oakland Raiders | 11 | .364 | 1976, 1980, 1983, 2002 |
Denver Broncos | 10 | .800 | 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013, 2015 |
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