LAS VEGAS — The Chiefs have been hearing it all week.
Will they become a dynasty if they win the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday? It will be the third time they’ve won a Super Bowl with a majority of the same core. If they beat the 49ers, there’s no denying they’re a dynasty.
“I think we’ve been thrown around a lot,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “And obviously this is the third time in five years, I think three is a big number when it comes to dynasties and things like that. Hopefully we get this and you guys start talking about dynasties. But I’m trying to get this third ring.”
Kansas City could become the ninth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, and the first since the Patriots won in 2003-04. It would also almost certainly mean they will be the dominant team of the decade.
Over the years, the NFL has been dominated by the Packers in the 1960s, the Steelers in the 1970s, the 49ers in the 1980s, the Cowboys in the 1990s, and the Patriots in the 2000s and 2010s.
Mahomes is only 28 years old, so the Chiefs’ run doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.
“That’s for other people to decide,” Mahomes said of the dynasty talks. “I just want to go out there and win this game, and I think we can make NFL history by winning back-to-back championships, but as far as dominance, that’s for other people to decide.”
Let’s take a look at the NFL’s biggest dynasties since 1960 and how the Chiefs rank.
Packers (1961-67)
Regular season winning percentage: .755 (74 wins, 20 losses, 4 draws)
Super Bowl Wins: 2
Number of Super Bowl losses: 0
Championship Game: Win 3 NFL Championships
Vince Lombardi’s group set the standard in the ’60s. They won three NFL titles before the Super Bowl, and the Packers went on to win the first two Super Bowls. Part of the problem for them is that this was before players could move freely, so they didn’t have to deal with significant roster turnover.
Steelers (1974-79)
Regular season winning percentage: .761 (67 wins, 20 losses, 1 draw)
Super Bowl Wins: 4
Number of Super Bowl losses: 0
AFC Championship Matches: 5 matches
The Steelers produced 11 Hall of Famers during that era, including coach Chuck Noll. They dominated the AFC while competing with other powerhouse teams such as the Raiders, Dolphins, and Oilers. They had a perfect record of 4 wins and 0 losses in the Super Bowl.
49ers (1981-94)
Regular season winning percentage: .736 (159-56-1)
Super Bowl wins: 5 times
Number of Super Bowl losses: 0
NFC Championship Game: 9
Even with two different coaches and quarterbacks, that would count the entirety of the 49ers’ 14-year run. Bill Walsh started a dynasty with Joe Montana, and in the end George Seifert and Steve Young won out.
Cowboys (1992-95)
Regular season winning percentage: .766 (49-15)
Super Bowl Wins: 3
Number of Super Bowl losses: 0
NFC Championship Game: 4
The first dynasty occurred when players started moving around more through free agency. The dynasty didn’t last long, but the Cowboys were dominant. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin are all Hall of Famers.
Patriots (2001-18)
Regular season winning percentage: .764 (220-68)
Super Bowl Wins: 6
Number of Super Bowl losses: 3
AFC Championship Match: 13
When you add these dynasties together, the Patriots’ run is amazing for two reasons. That’s the length and number of roster shakeups they had to make to keep it that way. The common denominator in all of them was Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
Chiefs (2019-present)
Regular season winning percentage: .759 (63-20)
Super Bowl Wins: 2
Number of Super Bowl losses: 1
AFC Championship Matches: 5 matches
It’s hard to evaluate this development considering we’re in the middle, but it feels like Mahomes & Co. could win five or six games when all is said and done. Andy Reid, 65, will probably retire at some point during the run, but the question will be whether the car can maintain its success without him.
Final ranking
I would rank the dynasties as follows: 1. Patriot. 2. 49ers; 3. Steelers. 4. Packers. 5. Cowboys.
If the Chiefs win on Sunday, I would put them ahead of the Cowboys on my list. It’s hard to imagine them replicating the Patriots’ success, but every other dynasty is within their reach as well.
