Kansas City Chiefs News

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has turned down a chance to interview for the head coaching job at Colorado, according to a report.Mike Klis of Denver-based 9NEWS said Bieniemy told Colorado officials that he no longer was interested in the job. Bieniemy, 50, was believed to be the top target for the Buffaloes.Bieniemy, who played four years for the Buffaloes from 1987-90, reportedly never formally interviewed for the position but repeatedly was contacted by his alma mater. The nine-year NFL veteran running back served as Colorado's offensive coordinator for two seasons prior to joining Andy Reid's staff as the Chiefs' running backs coach in 2013.Before the 2019 season, Bieniemy interviewed with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their respective head-coaching positions, and he reportedly declined an interview with the Arizona Cardinals. This offseason, he interviewed with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, all of which hired other candidates.

Raheem Mostert said he plans to return the jersey of Damien Williams after the two undrafted running backs swapped uniform tops in a display of sportsmanship following Super Bowl LIV.Mostert's decision on Wednesday came three days after Williams recorded 133 total yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.The 27-year-old Mostert followed up his 220-yard, four-touchdown performance in the 49ers' 37-20 win over Green Bay in the NFC Championship with 58 yards and a score against the Chiefs.The two former teammates shared a moment in the tunnel and swapped jerseys after the game.On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" the following day, the host told Williams that the jersey he gave away "is worth a lot more than the jersey he gave you."Williams replied: "That's funny you say that, because my mom was like, 'Where's your jersey at?'"

The Kansas City Chiefs hope to keep wide receiver Sammy Watkins in 2020, despite speculation about his possible departure, NFL Network reported Tuesday.Watkins' salary-cap hit climbs next season to $21 million -- the highest of any NFL wideout -- in the final year of a three-year, $48 million deal he signed in free agency in March 2018. The Chiefs, who currently have about $19 million in cap space, could free up $14 million by releasing or trading Watkins.But according to the report, the Chiefs hope to bring Watkins back, potentially with a contract extension or adjustment.Watkins was asked before the Super Bowl about possibly renegotiating his contract, and he replied by suggesting he might not play at all in 2020."If it suits me and my family and my needs, for sure," he told reporters. "But I'm really in a different space right now. I don't know what I'm going to do. If we win, I might chill out. I might sit out a year. You just never know. Not retiring, but I might just want to rest up and chill."Watkins has not yet elaborated on those comments since the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 on Sunday.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla,., after rallying his Kansas City Chiefs from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV.Mahomes threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, overcoming a pair of interceptions in the first 18 minutes of the second half that left the Chiefs down 20-10. His 1-yard toss to Travis Kelce with 6:13 to play brought the Chiefs within three, and his 5-yard pass to Damien Williams put Kansas City ahead for good with 2:44 left.The 24-year-old became the second-youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, behind only Ben Roethlisberger in Super Bowl XL. He is the third quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP despite throwing multiple interceptions, joining Terry Bradshaw (three INTs in Super Bowl XIV) and Tom Brady (two in Super Bowl XLIX)."Coach (Andy) Reid told me after both of 'em to keep firing," Mahomes said of the interceptions on the Fox broadcast. "Keep believing and keep firing."According to Fox, Mahomes is the youngest player ever to win regular-season MVP (which he did in 2018) and Super Bowl MVP.He finished the game 26 of 42 for 286 yards, two touchdowns passing, one rushing and the interceptions. His 1-yard run on an option play was the game's first touchdown, giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Each team scored a touchdown and a field goal as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers went to halftime tied at 10 in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday. It was only the fourth halftime tie in Super Bowl history.The 49ers took an early 3-0 lead, driving from their own 18 to the Kansas City 20 after the Chiefs went three-and-out on their first possession. Robbie Gould kicked a 38-yard field goal with 7:57 to play in the first quarter. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel ran for 39 yards on two plays for first downs in the drive.Kansas City answered with two scoring drives. A 15-play, 75-yard possession drive that took 7:26 off the clock culminated with quarterback Patrick Mahomes running 1 yard for a touchdown and a 7-3 Chiefs lead with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Two plays earlier, running back Damien Williams ran 4 yards to the 1 on a fourth-and-1 conversion.San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was pressured by defensive tackle Chris Jones and made an ill-advised throw that was intercepted by Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland at the Kansas City 45-yard line.After a 28-yard pass play from Mahomes to wide receiver Sammy Watkins and another fourth-and-1 success by Williams, Kansas City settled for a 31-yard field goal by Harrison Butker and a 10-3 lead with 9:32 to play in the first half.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the best player in football.Just 36 starts into his career, he has a Lombardi Trophy, plus regular-season and Super Bowl MVP awards. He's only 24.That's bad news for the rest of the NFL, especially the AFC. The Chiefs already have hosted back-to-back AFC Championship Games and were whiskers from consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Their division foes are struggling, and the best younger QB in the conference abruptly quit football in August.Yes, things are looking great in Kansas City, which will host a parade on Wednesday to fete the Chiefs and their 31-20 win in Super Bowl LIV.Who can challenge the Chiefs' reign? These are the five greatest obstacles standing in the way of a Kansas City dynasty.1. The salary capThe Chiefs' greatest enemies, at the moment, are the league's established restrictions to promote parity. Even with a quarterback still on a rookie contract, Kansas City already is feeling the pressure.Kansas City has just $19 million in cap room for 2020, per Spotrac, and that's without accounting for Chris Jones -- an elite interior pass rusher -- and defensive backs Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller, all pending free agents. Jones' negotiation might require the franchise tag, making for a delicate balancing of the books.The Chiefs also have four key players with two years left on their contracts: tight end Travis Kelce, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, safety Tyrann Mathieu and left tackle Eric Fisher. As elite players at their positions, Kelce and Schwartz could demand raises this offseason on deals signed in 2016. If they don't, they'll surely command top-level extensions next offseason. Likewise, Mathieu and Fisher will want new deals next summer.And of course, a megadeal for Mahomes is looming. Initial reports suggested the Chiefs would get it done this offseason, but they might not have the flexibility. The sooner the better -- Mahomes' price tag (at least $40 million annually) only will rise.Kansas City will look for relief. Sammy Watkins and Anthony Hitchens have wildly disappointed on pricey contracts from 2018, and cutting Watkins (if he doesn't step away, as he suggested he might this week) would save $14 million. Hitchens, however, restructured his deal in September and will count $12.7 million against the cap in 2020 barring a post-June 1 release, which would push $8.4 million of that into 2021.Modest savings could be found elsewhere. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif ($4.9 million savings), Cameron Erving ($4.7 million), Daniel Sorensen ($3.75 million) and Damien Wilson ($3 million) could be released, but that would leave nearly $6 million in dead money and some depth issues on the O-line.The Chiefs' saving grace is that they'll be a destination for free agents as long as Mahomes is around. That won't solve cap issues entirely, but it's a nice consolation.2. Lamar Jackson and the RavensIt's easy to forget that the Chiefs weren't even the best team in the AFC during the regular season. When the Tennessee Titans upset the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson in the divisional round, they gave Kansas City a far easier path to the Super Bowl.Baltimore has work to do (Matt Judon, Jimmy Smith and Michael Pierce are free agents), but it has more cap room ($26.6 million) than Kansas City and is at least a year away from extending Jackson. The Ravens restock and reload as well as any NFL team. They have a quality offensive line, young weapons in Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown, plus a loaded defense with great depth at cornerback.Despite the sour result, Jackson did not play all that poorly against the Titans, and any narratives about his playoff record (0-2) are downright silly at this point. The unanimous MVP, he's one of the NFL's best players and still ascending, having turned 23 in January.The Chiefs already are assured of facing the Ravens in Baltimore in 2020 and 2021, games that could decide the conference's top seed. That might make Jackson vs. Mahomes the next great quarterback rivalry.The two have met twice. The Chiefs won both games, but one required a series of miraculous plays from Mahomes to win in overtime in 2018.3. Bill BelichickNobody knows who the New England Patriots' quarterback will be in 2020. But Bill Belichick will be the head coach, and that should keep Mahomes and the Chiefs wary.Kansas City lost Mahomes' first two meetings with Belichick despite scoring a combined 71 points. The Chiefs turned the tables in December 2019 in Foxborough, Mass., winning 23-16, and they'll get to host the Pats in 2020.Another go-round with Belichick and Tom Brady would be dangerous for the Chiefs, especially if the Patriots can improve their offensive line and add another weapon or two.

Basking in the glow of a Super Bowl title, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he wants the opportunity to win many more championships while wearing a Chiefs uniform.Now eligible for a contract extension after playing three seasons, Mahomes, who earned the game's MVP honor, sounded ready to commit Monday morning."Obviously, I want to be in Kansas City for a long time," Mahomes said, according to ESPN. "I understand that and also I want to win a lot of football games here."There's no immediacy to getting a deal done. Mahomes' current contract runs through the 2020 season, with a team option for another season beyond that.The 24-year old was 26-of-42 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl LIV while rallying the Chiefs to a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers with 21 points in the fourth quarter.The NFL's 2018 MVP had 4,031 passing yards this season with 26 touchdowns. It was a statistical drop from 2018 when he threw for 5,097 yards and 50 TDs, but he had just five interceptions in the 2019 regular season and now has a trophy for his postseason work."For me, it's kind of letting that stuff handle itself," Mahomes said to ESPN about a contract extension. "I'm in a great organization. I have a great team ... working for me."

The Chiefs will be honored for their Super Bowl LIV victory with a parade on Wednesday, officials in Kansas City, Mo., announced.The Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET, and festivities will conclude with a rally at Union Station beginning about two hours later.Schools throughout the Kansas City metro area began canceling classes for the day to allow students to attend."For the first time in 50 years, our Kansas City Chiefs are bringing home the Vince Lombardi trophy, and we're all excited to celebrate with our players and fans," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a news release. He added via Twitter that he wanted to see "ALL of #ChiefsKingdom there."

Injuries will not be a main storyline heading into Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.The final injury report of the week on Friday revealed that the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs do not have any players with game-day designations heading into the battle in Miami for the NFL championship.For San Francisco, running back Tevin Coleman (shoulder), linebacker Kwon Alexander (pectoral) and safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) were full participants in practice on Friday. They were limited participants earlier in the week.

The Kansas City Chiefs will seek to snap a 50-year drought and make more history against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday in Miami.The Chiefs, who lost Super Bowl I before winning Super Bowl IV, would set a new mark for the longest span between Super Bowl victories. All-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 24, would become the second-youngest signal-caller to win it all (Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XL, then 23 years old).Likewise, Andy Reid would cast off the title of winningest NFL head coach without a Super Bowl victory. He is sixth in league history with 221 total regular-season and playoff victories, and the five coaches in front of him have combined for 23 Super Bowl or NFL championships."Just getting him here isn't the goal," Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said of his coach. "Winning this thing for him is.""He's had an amazing career," Mahomes added. "Obviously, we want to win this game, the big Super Bowl, put that on his resume. He's someone who's been successful from Day 1, and he's still successful now."Reid said this week he's "very humbled" by the support from friends across the league as he leads his second team to the Super Bowl. His Philadelphia Eagles lost Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. But those sentiments won't exist on the opposing sideline, where the 49ers hope to make history of their own.San Francisco is seeking its first Super Bowl win in 25 years, dating to Super Bowl XXIX in 1995 that also was played in Miami.Another win would tie the Niners with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Lombardi Trophies (six) in NFL history, and also secure the first-ever father-son combo to win Super Bowls as head coaches. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan's dad, Mike Shanahan, won back-to-back titles with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and '99.Kyle Shanahan, who was a ball boy for the 49ers in the team's latest Super Bowl win, has been thrilled with his group's preparation in the two weeks since an NFC Championship Game victory over the Green Bay Packers."I wish the players could have two weeks every week to do a game plan," he said. "I mean, for them to come out on a Wednesday ... and to be firing on all cylinders, it's not usually like that."The 49ers roll into the Super Bowl with a dominant run game, having rushed for 471 yards while throwing just 27 times in two playoff victories. That has prompted questions about whether quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can handle a bigger load if needed on Sunday, but his coach has plenty of faith.

With Sunday's star-studded Super Bowl LIV battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers nearly here, it's time to dive deep into the matchup.We'll start with arguably the league's best quarterback facing one of the league's best defenses, as Patrick Mahomes takes on defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's stingy unit.1. 49ers' pass rush must deliverAs we touched on in our conference championship Film Study, the 49ers' front four is the game's biggest key. The best way to slow Mahomes is to generate pressure with only four rushers, but that must be done while also containing him in the pocket. San Francisco is certainly capable. Can the 49ers deliver?On the edges, the burden will fall primarily on Nick Bosa, who usually will face left tackle Eric Fisher. An above-average blindside protector, Fisher can be exploited, and Bosa must be effective with power. Bosa's focus won't be simply to go around Fisher -- he'll want to work through him and move Fisher toward Mahomes, shrinking the pocket without opening up a scramble lane.On the other side, Dee Ford will battle old teammate Mitchell Schwartz, perhaps the league's best right tackle. Schwartz is extremely steady, so Ford must mix things up. His speed-to-power bull rush can help collapse the pocket, and his closing speed is the 49ers' best way to track down Mahomes when he's flushed.Inside might be the 49ers' biggest advantage. DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead are tough matchups for left guard Stefen Wisniewski, center Austin Reiter and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. At least one will be single-blocked on most plays, and both must win a majority of those reps.Saleh's final piece in the pass rush is schematic, where he features a variety of fronts, stunts, twists and timely blitzes. Expect several tilted fronts -- three of four linemen to one side of the center -- and players deployed all over the line. Ford and Bosa will take turns at 3-technique, with Bosa even occasionally on the nose. Buckner and Armstead can and will line up anywhere.The unit has been seamless when stunting, working to maintain gap discipline while still reaching the quarterback. The periodic blitzes of linebacker Fred Warner, who often twists with Buckner or Armstead, add another dangerous element.The Chiefs' O-line excelled against the Titans' stunts in the AFC Championship Game, but those often came with only three rushers, and none overly dangerous outside of Jurrell Casey. This will be a different test.2. Saleh's dilemma: More man or zone?Traditionally a zone-heavy defense, the 49ers have played more man coverage of late, and with great success. It might be tempting to continue vs. the Chiefs, whose rare struggles on offense this season came against man-heavy defenses, and whose deadliness against zones is well known.The problem is that Saleh's personnel doesn't match up particularly well to play man-to-man. There's no logical speedster to track Tyreek Hill, even with safety help. The 49ers' fastest cornerback is Emmanuel Moseley, and even if he can hang with Hill, the Chiefs still have plenty of speed elsewhere in Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins.The most logical matchup for tight end Travis Kelce might be cornerback Richard Sherman, with Warner and safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt mixing in occasionally. That isn't ideal for a whole game.Saleh surely will play man coverage at times, but it likely won't be the base of his approach. Instead, expect him to favor the muddied zones he used most of the season, with a variety of disguises and coverage rotations to force Mahomes to process after the snap.Considering the Chiefs are one of the league's pass-happiest teams, Saleh should be creative with his personnel and looks, daring Kansas City to run. That might include six- and seven-DB packages, exotic fronts and stunts or blitzes, even on early downs.3. How Mahomes and Reid will counterThere certainly are challenges that come with playing zone. For one, it's more exploitable by run-pass options, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid runs as many RPOs as any coach in the league. The 49ers might emphasize the pass, but expect the Chiefs to do some damage via RPOs one way or another.Likewise, Reid will be able to dictate matchups against zone.With Sherman staying on the defense's left, the Chiefs could threaten him with Hill, a poor stylistic matchup, to see if Sherman can hold up vertically. Hill is also a terror inside against the zone, especially as the inside slot of trips, where he winds up on a safety or a linebacker.Reid will use plenty of trips and quads sets that unbalance the formation. Many of these looks will feature Kelce as the single receiver, allowing him to pick on Moseley while a three- or four-man route combination floods the other side of the field.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said he is focused on his game plan for Super Bowl LIV, not his potential next job.Bieniemy said he has been asked repeatedly this week about whether the Rooney Rule, designed to promote minority hiring, is working as intended since no African-Americans were hired to fill any of the five head coach openings after the 2019 season.His response?"It's not for me to comment because I can only speak to my process," the 50-year-old Bieniemy told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. "I've been blessed to have an opportunity to interview. Whether they hire me or not is up to them. I worked my tail off to be placed in that situation. I'm going to continue chopping wood, I'm going to continue being me, and whatever is going to happen down the line is going to happen."Bieniemy, who is black, also said that he's not disappointed that he has yet to receive an NFL head-coaching offer."Everyone wants to hear I'm disappointed," Bieniemy said. "That is not the case. We're still playing. We've got one of the biggest games this weekend. So I'm really looking forward to having that opportunity to share in this moment in time with our organization, our players and also, too, our coaching staff."I mean, that's everybody's dream to be one of the 32 head coaches. That's everybody's dream. Someday, possibly, it may happen. But right now, the only thing that matters is making sure our guys, our players and our coaching staff is focused on the goal -- and that's making sure we play to the end of that final echo of the whistle come Sunday."The Chiefs meet the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Miami.While head coach Andy Reid doesn't want to lose his offensive coordinator, he had the following response last month to any interested team should it wish to look Bieniemy's way:

Kansas City Chiefs players almost universally are desperate to win one for their coach, Andy Reid.The narrative has been a constant in Miami this week as the Chiefs prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Super Bowl LIV."I'm humbled by it, very humbled by it," Reid said. "I appreciate that but this game is about this team. The guys who have worked so hard to get where they're at right now. You'd love to say it's a one-man ... it's not about one person at all. It's a team effort. It's about the organization. My complete focus is on making sure we as coaches do a good job, as players do a good job in the Super Bowl."Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he is treating this week like any other, but knows the stakes are anything but ordinary."You understand you don't get these opportunities all the time," Mahomes said. "We want to get this for him."Reid, 61, is appearing in his second Super Bowl as a head coach. The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the New England Patriots in 2005."In my opinion, he's already a Hall of Fame coach," safety Tyrann Mathieu said. "He's done a lot for the game. He's a guy that's for the people. Some of our first conversations, it's all about family, it's all about people and team and being who you are. He's done so much for minority coaches. I think we have five on our team. So winning this game is going to be big for him."

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs can still taste the disappointment of their AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots last January."We came up short last year," Reid, the Kansas City head coach, said Wednesday morning in Miami. "It kind of fell on Dee (Ford). It wasn't on Dee. It fell on all of us. We were 4 inches short. We could have all done a better job."Ford, a defensive end since traded to the San Francisco 49ers, was called offside on a would-be game-clinching interception, preventing Kansas City from making a trip to the Super Bowl. Now that the Chiefs have reached the final stage, they're focused on taking advantage of it."I talked to the team about it after the game, when we were still whole as a team before we went into the offseason," Reid said. "I think the guys went out and attacked the offseason. They had a taste of getting to the championship game and losing it. But there was something they could do about it. I think the guys have done that."--Super Bowl LIV is still four days away, but the 49ers are already looking sharp and ready for the Chiefs with two practices still to go this week."It's awesome," San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "I wish the players could have two weeks every week to do a game plan. I mean, for them to come out on a Wednesday today and to be firing on all cylinders, it's not usually like that."Usually we put in a game plan Wednesday morning, and there's a lot of mistakes. ... You've got to kind of catch up as the week goes on. Usually you feel pretty good by Saturday. But when you get a whole week to go through it, you feel a lot better."--As expected, the 49ers are mostly healthy, with only three players listed as limited on the first official injury report: running back Tevin Coleman (shoulder), linebacker Kwon Alexander (pectoral) and safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs).

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs can still taste the disappointment of their AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots last January."We came up short last year," Reid said as the Chiefs opened media availability at Super Bowl LIV on Tuesday morning in Miami. "It kind of fell on Dee (Ford). It wasn't on Dee. It fell on all of us. We were four inches short. We could have all done a better job."I talked to the team about it after the game, when we were still whole as a team before we went into the offseason. I think the guys went out and attacked the offseason. They had a taste of getting to the championship game and losing it. But there was something they could do about it. I think the guys have done that."Last year's MVP, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, is only in his second season as a starter but was a player that Reid and then-general manager John Dorsey identified as a pillar of a potential title team. Reid credited Dorsey for making the moves needed to get the Chiefs in position to select Mahomes, who wowed the team in meetings and continues to impress.Reid recalled what the Chiefs saw in Mahomes coming out of Texas Tech and the traits he shared with the great ones he has been around -- Steve Young, Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb among them."In its simplest form -- they can play the game and No. 2, they're a leader of men," Reid said. "Make everyone around them better. The great ones do that with your whole organization."Mahomes said Tuesday morning in Miami he wants to be with the Chiefs' organization for the rest of his career. The comments came on the heels of team chairman Clark Hunt saying Monday that a deal with Mahomes might not happen this year. Hunt said the deal would come at the "right time" for the franchise and player."I look forward to my time with Patrick -- right now we're a work in progress," Reid said.

Patrick Mahomes is well aware of one Super Bowl trivia item in particular.Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Kurt Warner are the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to win a Most Valuable Player award and play in a Super Bowl in their first three seasons. On Sunday, that list will expand to three when Mahomes takes the field for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.The 24-year-old smiled and shook his head at the milestone Monday during Super Bowl Opening Night in Miami."It's pretty surreal to be anywhere mentioned with those two guys," Mahomes said during an interview broadcast on NFL Network. "It's a tribute to my teammates, it really is. I got put in a great situation, and I try to maximize it every single day."Warner was in his second season when he won the 1999 MVP award and led the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl title that season. Marino also won the MVP in his second year, 1984, but his Miami Dolphins lost in the Super Bowl that season.If Mahomes is nervous about trying to duplicate Warner's feat, he didn't show it in front of dozens of cameras at Opening Night.A calm demeanor has helped Mahomes set regular-season records as he pursues a Super Bowl title. After taking over full-time starting duties last season, he went on to pass for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2018.However, the Chiefs' 2018 season ended abruptly with a 37-31 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. Mahomes was forced to watch from home as Tom Brady and the Patriots picked up another ring."When you're that close, you want to make sure you get back the next year," Mahomes said. "All the guys on the team, we just took it one day at a time, went through the process, maximized every single day that we had and found a way to get here."By comparison, this season included a few more challenges, including a knee injury that kept him out of two games. He still shined, throwing for 4,031 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, but if they're feeling the pressure ahead of Sunday's bout with the San Francisco 49ers, they sure aren't showing it.Head coach Andy Reid's media session Tuesday morning included plenty of carryover from Monday's lighthearted Opening Night. In between football-related topics, there were more mentions of the food (specifically cheeseburgers) and casual attire (shorts) that Reid has long been fond of.Fifteen years removed from his first Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles, the 61-year-old Reid said his second time at the big game carries fewer mental burdens than the first."Well I'm older, right?" Reid said. "So I've probably seen a little bit more than what I'd seen before. ... I don't know if relaxed is the right thing, but I've kind of walked in this path before, so I know what to expect for the most part."The Chiefs' players are following their coach's lead, spending as much time of their media sessions joking with each other as discussing Super Bowl LIV.Hours after comparing his quarterback's voice to Kermit The Frog's, wideout Tyreek Hill poked more fun Tuesday morning at Patrick Mahomes, specifically his 27-yard touchdown run in the AFC Championship Game against the Tennessee Titans."He got outside the pocket and was going like 11 mph," Hill said with a laugh.Tight end Travis Kelce also took a friendly swipe at his quarterback, referencing Mahomes' famous predilection for a tomato-based condiment."Who puts ketchup on steaks?" Kelce asked reporters rhetorically. "I know that's old news, but it's still foul to me."For his part, Mahomes said his team has been keeping it loose all year, and there's no reason to stop now."We're enjoying it," Mahomes said. "That's who we are. We have fun. We love being able to play football and be together and be able to hang out and do that stuff. And I think if we keep that mentality, it'll help us play our best football on Sunday."

Maybe some other coaches would have dressed up for Super Bowl Opening Night, but not Andy Reid.Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs coach selected a bright red Hawaiian shirt for the prime-time event Monday at Marlins Park in Miami. A Chiefs logo adorned the shirt, which attracted plenty of attention."I like dress codes, as long as it's part Tommy Bahama," Reid said with a grin. "I'm good with what I got."Reid, 61, has been good throughout his NFL coaching career, which has included 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles and seven years with the Chiefs. He is 207-128-1 in the regular season.Only six coaches have more victories: Don Shula (328), George Halas (318), Bill Belichick (273), Tom Landry (250), Curly Lambeau (226) and Paul Brown (216).Yet Reid is 14-14 in the playoffs, and he has yet to win a Super Bowl as a coach, losing in his lone attempt with the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2004 season. A victory over the 49ers this weekend could permanently bolster his legacy."I'm going to enjoy this," Reid said. "I've got a great team. Very fortunate. That's really all I care about."What would he like to see when the game kicks off Sunday evening?"We probably need to start a little faster," said Reid, whose team fell into double-digit holes in both playoff games so far. "It's worked out OK, but for the coach's sake and his heart, we'd like to start a little faster."--Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy has almost 2,500 carries in his career and has a chance to earn his first Super Bowl ring this weekend.But don't expect the 31-year-old to ride off into the sunset regardless of the outcome."Nah, I'm not ready to retire yet," McCoy said. "I still can play. So I'm not going to retire yet, but that day is coming. That day is definitely coming."

BetAmerica revealed Monday that a bettor has placed a $110,000 wager on San Francisco that would return $242,000 if the 49ers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.While the Chiefs (-125) are one-point favorites by the sportsbook, the Churchill Downs-owned BetAmerica has been offering the 49ers from +120 to +105 since the Super Bowl matchup was determined."We've been offering the best odds in the nation about the 49ers winning and that's attracted a flurry of significant wagers including this big six-figure bet," said BetAmerica President Ian Williams.

Safety Eric Berry plans to return to the NFL in 2020 after sitting out the past season, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Saturday."He actually did have opportunities to play in the league this past year," Garafolo said on "Good Morning Football.""He took a sabbatical. He wanted to make sure he could get himself right mentally and physically."Berry, 31, was released last March by the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him in 2010 with the No. 5 overall pick.In nine seasons with the Chiefs, Berry played in 89 games (87 starts) but played in at least 15 games just five times.In the season opener against the Buffalo Bills in 2011, he sustained a torn ACL that kept him out all season. In 2014, a sprained ankle sidelined him for five weeks, and then in December, his season ended abruptly when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.