Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII Win Raises Dynasty and Legacy Talks

Kansas City's second championship in four years changes things for players and the team alike.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night in a thrilling Super Bowl LVII matchup, and two words are rising to the top following Kansas City's second world championship in four seasons.

Dynasty. Legacy.

Whether obtaining two titles in four years is worthy of the dynasty label remains to be seen. (This writer doesn't believe it is, although the Chiefs are getting close.) An extended stretch of AFC West dominance featuring seven consecutive division titles, as well as five straight trips to the AFC Championship Game with Patrick Mahomes, makes it obvious that Kansas City checks off the sustained excellence box to an extent. 

The franchise also has one of the better head coaches to ever do the job in Andy Reid and the roster features a pair of no-doubt, first-ballot Hall of Fame players (Mahomes and Travis Kelce) and another blue-chipper who's trending in the right direction (Chris Jones). It also helps that since the New England Patriots' legendary run came to a close, no squad has come that close to matching the brilliance of the Mahomes-Reid machine. A third championship ring may be needed before the dynasty status is actually reached, but the Chiefs are in the conversation now at the very least. 

That conversation features multiple storied franchises and their runs of brilliance that have cemented their respective places. The Joe Gibbs-era Washington Commanders, '70s Dallas Cowboys and early-'70s Miami Dolphins are a few, with others hanging around in NFL immortality as well. Kansas City has work to do before being thrust into the same spotlight as the San Francisco 49ers with Joe Montana or Steve Young, the Cowboys of the '90s or the '70s Pittsburgh Steelers. Reaching the aforementioned Patriots' heights is going to take some very serious odd-defying efforts. From a team perspective, though, that dynasty is just a ring away from being cemented if it hasn't already been so.

From a legacy perspective, this win changes a ton for multiple members of the Chiefs organization. For Andy Reid, he's now back to an even 2-2 in Super Bowls and that pair of rings is accompanied by double-digit conference title games, the second-most playoff wins by a head coach and the fifth-most wins by a head coach all-time. His two rings rank right alongside the likes of Vince Lombardi, Bill Parcells and multiple others. A third ring would put Reid in rarefied air, although he's truly already soaring through it.

For Mahomes, his resume through five seasons is already something that most quarterbacks only dream of accomplishing over the course of their entire careers. Not only is he a five-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro and the holder of the single-season record for most yards by a total player, but there's more. Mahomes has two Super Bowl rings, two Super Bowl MVPs, two NFL MVPs, a 50-touchdown season and a 40-touchdown season to hang his hat on. He's one of 13 quarterbacks to ever win multiple Super Bowls, and he's the first one in over two decades to cap off an MVP campaign by also hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. He could retire today and have a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame waiting for him in Canton. He's undoubtedly a top-10 player to ever get under center as a quarterback. 

It isn't just Reid and Mahomes, either. Tight end Travis Kelce, building a case as a top-five player ever at his position (at the very least), is now second all-time in postseason touchdown receptions after hauling one in during the Super Bowl. While Jones didn't record a sack against the Eagles, he's now a two-time champion. The same can be said for Frank Clark, who's third all-time in postseason sacks despite not even having turned 30 yet. The two unquestioned pillars of the Chiefs organization are ascending, and so is the right-hand man and even the supporting cast that makes the engine run. Based on the outcome of one game, career narratives have been further defined in a major way.

In five, 10, 15, 20 or even 30 years, folks will look back at the aforementioned stretches for both team and player alike and remember the championships over most else. The context of rankings and records will help support those resumes, but history tends to side with winners over producers regardless of whether it's fair or not. Luckily for the Chiefs, the franchise and its on-field talents qualify as both. A Super Bowl loss can lead to some of that important context getting lost in translation. Because they won and have a shot at truly securing that dynasty title in the coming year(s), the legacies remain intact. It's a win-win situation for Kansas City, an organization and area that is a champion once again.

Read More: Chad Henne Announces Retirement via Instagram