The comfortable position in which the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves heading into Week 18 of the NFL season gives them some breathing room to rest a few players in the final game against the Denver Broncos. Andy Reid will ultimately have to decide whether or not to include star Patrick Mahomes for their visit to Empower Field at Mile High.
The game between the Broncos and Chiefs has several factors at play, as, among other things, the Bengals need a Kansas City win over Denver to have a glimmer of hope for playoff qualification.
Of course, all these speculations matter little to HC Andy Reid, who, according to journalist Jay Glazer, has already made the decision to keep his top players, including Patrick Mahomes, and those who are banged up heading into this part of the season, off the field against Sean Payton’s team.
“They’re not playing any of their starters,” Glazer said on FOX NFL Sunday. “Anybody who’s banged up. Anybody like Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones. If you’ve got a hangnail and you’re a starter, you’re not playing for Kansas City. They want to make sure they go into the playoffs healthy.”
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Carolina Panthers on November 24, 2024.
It is worth noting that the Chiefs enter the final week of the regular season with a record of 15 wins and just one loss, securing the number one spot in the AFC West.
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Reid clarifies the situation regarding Isiah Pacheco
One of the top stars in the Chiefs’ offense, Isiah Pacheco, took a hard hit to the ribs in his last outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which raised concerns within the Kansas City staff.
Regarding this situation, Andy Reid spoke with the press and shared his thoughts on the possibility of the running back being available for the upcoming games, especially their first playoff appearance.
“Yeah, he’ll be available playoff-wise,” Reid said. “He is tender. I probably should’ve mentioned that: he is tender. I’ll probably hold him back here this week in practice just a bit so he can be fresh and ready to go.”
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) is introduced before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
Can the Chiefs win another Super Bowl?
The goal is definitely always the same: to try to win another Super Bowl ring. If they achieve it, they would be the first team in history to do so three times consecutively. Despite this, many are skeptical about this scenario, including an NFL legend who believes Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes won’t be able to accomplish it.
“They’re not going to win three in a row. Why am I upsetting everybody? It’s never been done. That’s one of the reasons. The other reason is I just think you have to quickly get rid of the ball now. Quick, quick, quick. I just think they’re going to load up against a team like Buffalo, they’re going to load up against a team like Baltimore. And those are the two teams that can beat them and I think it’s going to happen. One of them is going to take them even though it would be in Kansas City,” the Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw stated.
