Where Does the Chiefs' Front Office Rank Among American Sports Franchises?

While the Chiefs have been the most successful franchise in the NFL over the last five years, do they have the league's best front office?

Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks as owner Clark Hunt and wife Tavia Hunt and play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus listen during the celebration of the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At the beginning of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL seasons, The Athletic polled 40 executives and coaches to attempt to determine who has the best front office in sports. Unsurprisingly, with three Super Bowl victories in the last five seasons and in the midst of a three-peat campaign, the Kansas City Chiefs landed quite high on the list. Somewhat surprisingly, however, they're not No. 1 in the NFL.

While The Athletic says the list is built by assembling responses from "direct competitors" within each respective sport, the cross-sport final rankings put the Chiefs' standing into perspective.

The rankings are topped by the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the NFL's Baltimore Ravens on the proverbial medal stand. The Chiefs land at No. 8, making them the second-ranked NFL team behind Baltimore.

After taking time to credit head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, The Athletic's story quotes an NFL executive who theorized about the strength of Reid and Veach's relationship.

"Veach grew up around Andy, so I think there is a very clear vision on what types of players they’re looking for and what works in their system," the story reads, citing "an executive." "Along with the winning comes continuity, and I think that staff as a whole has a very strong understanding of what works there. I think Veach and (assistant general manager Mike) Borgonzi are good evaluators. They have an eye for talent along with an understanding of what plays in the league."

Then, The Athletic notes Mahomes's unique contract and illustrates how much more successful Mahomes has been compared to his similarly paid peers.

"While Mahomes’ deal could be reworked in the not-so-distant future, he’s currently the greatest bargain on the planet because the Chiefs were savvy enough to take care of him before the QB market boom," the story continues. "Mahomes, for his part, sought a long-term partnership that would help the team put together an elite roster around him. The 12 quarterbacks currently ahead of Mahomes in average annual salary have combined to win zero Super Bowls and have 19 playoff wins to his 15."

Read More: Analyst Picks First-Round Miss as Chiefs' Worst Move of Last Five Years