The LA Chargers completed the sweep against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and with it, the Bolts knocked KC out of the playoffs and ended their rival's dynastic run. Kansas City now has three meaningless games to play while Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL.
Kansas City was already facing an identity crisis heading into the offseason with no cap space to utilize and the arrow starkly pointing down. With Mahomes injured and likely missing part of the 2025 season, that identity crisis is amplified.
But there is one saving grace for the Chiefs' playoff hopes ending in Week 15, and it actually could end up having a negative impact on the Chargers. With three meaningless games on the books, the Chiefs can embrace the tank for the first time in the Andy Reid era to improve the team's draft position.
That, in turn, may get the Chiefs a true blue-chip prospect who can accelerate the upcoming identity search.
Chargers may have given the Chiefs the headstart they needed
Look, we're going to take the win over the Chiefs every single time. The Chargers needed that game to gain cushion in the AFC playoff race and ending the dynasty does hold a special place in fans' hearts. It would be asinine to point the Chargers' win over the Chiefs as a bad thing for LA because it will ultimately help their draft position.
But while it's not a bad thing for the Chargers, it doesn't change the fact that it's the reality. Kansas City is 6-8 on the season, and if they truly play their cards right, should end the season at 6-11. With the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders both on the schedule, seven wins is more realistic for the Chiefs.
Either way, Kansas City is likely going to have a selection in the top 12 for the first time since the team took Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick.
The reality is that this Chiefs team wasn't going to make much noise in the NFL Playoffs. Obviously, knocking the Chiefs out of contention as soon as possible was Chargers' M-O as Kansas City was directly competing with LA. However, it happening as early as it did does afford KC some opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have.
There are some admittedly scary options for the Chiefs in the range and the higher they move up the more likely it is that they land one of these game-changing candidates. The scariest might just be running back Jeremiyah Love, who is somehow coming into the league with a ceiling as high as Ashton Jeanty's last year.
Love is by far the best running back in the draft and the Chiefs desperately need to improve the running game. He's about as much of a can't-miss prospect as there is at the running back position, which would give Mahomes his best weapon since Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce were in their prime.
Taking a running back in round one is sacrilegious for some teams but there are still other options that could accelerate this mini Chiefs rebuild. There are a slew of first-round edge rushers who could all be difference-makers in Kansas City. Wideouts Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate may both be on the board. Tackles Francis Mauigoa , Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu could all fix the offensive line issues.
The Chiefs are in a position to be proactive with who they want in the 2025 NFL Draft, not reactive. And funny enough, the Chargers were in a very similar position not too long ago and it paid off in a massive way for the franchise.
Justin Herbert broke his finger and missed the final five games of the 2023 season. The Chargers lost every single game. And by doing so, LA secured the No. 5 pick in the draft and put together a draft class consisting of Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, Tarheeb Still, and others.
The last thing the Chargers need is for the Chiefs to have a draft class like that. So while it was undoubtedly better for the Chargers to win that game (duh) it doesn't change the fact that the glass-half-full outlook for the Chiefs is a bit scary.
Hopefully, not just for the Chargers but for the entire NFL, the Chiefs mess up the newfound draft capital they have.