Buy Or Sell: The current Chiefs’ dynasty will eventually surpass the Steelers’ dynasty of the 1970s.
Explanation: The Steelers have watched the birth and plateau of the NFL’s latest dynasty in the time elapsed since their last playoff win. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted QB Patrick Mahomes in 2017 and just won their third Super Bowl title with him. The Steelers only make the playoffs about every other year and haven’t won since 2016. But they dominated the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls from 1974 to 1979. Will the Chiefs eventually surpass the legacy of the Steel Curtain?
Buy:
Comparing eras is always a difficult challenge. The Steelers’ defense of the 1970s couldn’t play today the way it did then. The Chiefs’ offense of today would have a lot more bruises 50 years ago. But from our current vantage point, it’s hard to see Kansas City stopping suddenly.
There is one primary reason the Chiefs will surpass the Steelers as the second-greatest dynasty in Super Bowl history. That is because the quarterback position is more important than it’s ever been before, and they have the best quarterback. And Mahomes’ birth certificate is in good shape, or, to put it another way, he’s got a lot of quality years left. He is still only 28 years old and could play at a very high level for another decade.
Sell:
Let’s be real: these things always come apart. Even the incredible Tom Brady era in New England came in bits. The Patriots won three Super Bowls early but went another decade or so before adding the next three. You can argue that they had two dynasties because outside of Brady and Bill Belichick, they were basically different teams.
The Chiefs likely lose critical defender Chris Jones in free agency. Future Hall of Fame TE Travis Kelce isn’t getting any younger—nor is head coach Andy Ried for that matter. Both have already committed to returning next season, but even 2023 proved to be a grind. They still got the job done, but the betting odds favored their opponents for most of the playoffs.
They will still be a great team, but so were the Steelers in the years they didn’t win the Super Bowl. There is no guarantee that they make it back, let alone win another. And if they don’t, it’s hard to argue their superiority.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
