AFC West

A victory by the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 would be beneficial to Basketball Hall of Famer Pat Riley's financial portfolio.

Per Front Office Sports, since Riley has had variations of the term "three-peat" trademarked for years, the NFL reached an agreement with his camp to use the phrase on various merchandise if the Chiefs are able to win their third straight Super Bowl by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Patrick Mahomes doesn't understand the villain label that has been attached to the Kansas City Chiefs as they prepare for their fifth Super Bowl appearance in seven seasons.

Asked about the "villain" narrative around the Chiefs during Super Bowl Opening Night, Mahomes rejected it by saying "we believe we play the game the right way" and "embrace who we are" as a team.

“If winning football games makes you a villain, we’re gonna keep going out there and do it.”

📺: #SBOpeningNight on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3ZSr4krhy2

— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2025

The only thing the Chiefs have done that makes them a "villain" is win a lot. It happens in every single sport when there is one singular dominant team, fans and analysts want to find any reason to cut them down because at some point you just run out of ways to talk about them.

There are some dominant teams that are worthy of backlash. For example, the New England Patriots were involved in multiple cheating scandals and allegations of cheating during their dynastic run that made it easy to root against them.

One common accusation levied against the Chiefs is they get preferential treatment from the officials. The cries about it have gotten so loud that multiple outlets have done research proving that's not the case at all.

Even the controversial penalties against the Houston Texans for hits on Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Divisional Round game have nothing to do with Mahomes and everything with how the league wants calls enforced when any quarterback is involved.

It's a credit to Mahomes' intelligence that he has figured out ways to take advantage of it, but the blame goes to the system rather than anything he's doing wrong.

If the Chiefs had only won one or even two Super Bowls during this seven-year run, instead of going for their third straight and fourth since 2019, no one would think twice about them as any sort of villain.

Given the historical nature of their run of success, though, there's no way to stop the backlash against the Chiefs. They don't have to care because they get to reap the rewards of their success regardless.

Any talk of Travis Kelce looking to retire probably isn't coming from anyone in his camp.

The Kansas City Chiefs star dismissed retirement talk at Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday, telling reporters he will "hopefully" still be playing in three years:

"Where will I be in 3 years? Hopefully still playing football... I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football."

Travis Kelce plans to still be playing for the @Chiefs 3 years from now 💪 pic.twitter.com/114UGlxz8G

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 4, 2025

Kelce has fueled some of the retirement speculation by not outright dismissing it in the past when he's talked about it. He told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith last month that his thoughts on retirement change "every single day," but he hasn't let himself think too hard about it at this point (starts at 26:15 mark).

There's no denying that age has started to slow Kelce down. He's been held under 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons after surpassing that mark in seven consecutive years from 2016 to '22.

Kelce's 823 receiving yards this season were his fewest since his rookie year in 2013 when a knee injury limited him to just one game. He also had the fewest yards per reception (8.5) of his career this season.

The only active tight end who is older than the 35-year-old Kelce is Marcedes Lewis (40). Even with some physical limitations at this stage of his career, Kelce is still capable of taking over a game.

Kelce had a season-high 117 yards in the Chiefs' 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round. He remains the primary target for Patrick Mahomes, leading the team in the regular season with 133 targets and 97 receptions.

As long as the Chiefs keep winning, why wouldn't Kelce want to keep playing? They're in the midst of one of the great runs in NFL history with seven consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game and a fifth Super Bowl appearance since 2019 awaiting on Sunday.

Kelce and the Chiefs will look to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.

As the Kansas City Chiefs gear up for their third straight Super Bowl appearance on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, they're still facing detractors who believe they reached this point because they get favorable calls from officials.

While speaking to reporters on Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed the notion entirely.

"It reminds me of the script, that I write a script for the entire season... It's a ridiculous theory, for anyone who might take it seriously," Goodell said.

Goodell added that the league is constantly exploring ways to improve its officiating and may add ways to review plays, such as facemask penalties, going forward.

"I'm proud of what they do, but that doesn't mean we're not trying to get better," Goodell told reporters.

When asked if there would be a penalty for players like Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes flopping to draw penalties, Goodell said he doesn't view that as a significant issue, but he wouldn't be surprised if the competition committee discussed it in the future.

The Chiefs' 15-2 finish to the 2024 season wasn't without its hardships. Many wins came down to the last minute, as Kansas City was fortunate to have some calls go their way. Of course, that didn't help the perception that the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champions were being gifted the opportunity to achieve the first three-peat in modern NFL history.

For example, in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, star quarterback Josh Allen was ruled short on a crucial fourth-down play despite appearing to have picked up the first down. The play swung the momentum in the Chiefs' favor, helping them secure a 32-29 win. Unsurprisingly, the controversial play was one of the biggest talking points after the game.

Fans will certainly be paying close attention to Sunday's Big Game, as the Eagles will be the last to try their hands at knocking the Chiefs from their perch. Any questionable plays that work in Kansas City's favor will certainly be under a microscope following the Super Bowl.

Chip Kelly is reportedly returning to the NFL.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Pete Thamel, the Las Vegas Raiders have hired Kelly to be their offensive coordinator. Kelly spent the 2024 season as Ohio State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping the Buckeyes win a national championship against Notre Dame last month.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Raiders gave Kelly a contract averaging $6 million per year, which makes him the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league. Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka were previously the highest paid at $3 million per year.

Kelly cut his teeth at a handful of smaller schools before getting his first major gig as Oregon's offensive coordinator in 2007. He took over as the Ducks head coach in 2009 and excelled, leading them to 10 wins or more in all four of his seasons and reaching the BCS national championship game in 2010.

Kelly got his first NFL coaching job in 2013 when the Philadelphia Eagles hired him as their head coach. He reached the playoffs in his first season at the helm but was fired in 2015 after a 6-9 start to the season.

Kelly then coached the San Francisco 49ers for a year in 2016 but was let go after a disastrous 2-14 season.

Following his struggles in the NFL ranks, Kelly returned to the collegiate ranks, taking over as UCLA's head coach in 2018. Kelly struggled early but posted three consecutive seasons with eight or more wins.

His success with the Bruins ultimately landed him the job at Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season.

Under Kelly, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns while adding 226 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Ohio State's offense averaged 37.2 points and 429.4 yards per game.

In the College Football Playoff, Ohio State beat Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame each by double digits in one of the most impressive four-game stretches in recent memory.

Buckeyes star receiver Jeremiah Smith, who thrived under Kelly, reacted to the trade on social media:

Nooooo💔 https://t.co/mA5MneoqOr

— Jeremiah Smith (@Jermiah_Smith1) February 2, 2025

Now Kelly will join a Raiders team that recently hired legendary coach Pete Carroll after his one-year stint away from the NFL. Las Vegas is looking for a coaching staff that can put it back in playoff contention, and the Raiders certainly have an experienced group.

Whether that experience will lead to wins is to be seen.

The Kansas City Chiefs social media team touched on a sore subject for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday.

A day after the Dallas Mavericks administered a blockbuster trade sending star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Anthony Davis, the Chiefs released a Q&A video with Mahomes.

One of the questions he was asked was about his favorite basketball player and Mahomes, who grew up in Texas, answered Dončić. The video was likely filmed before the trade, and Mahomes joked about the Chiefs releasing it hours after the deal.

Yall gotta chill…. https://t.co/iCLMIwO4gf

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 2, 2025

The Chiefs replied to Mahomes' post and said they are "never scheduling a post again," indicating that the video was set to go up before the trade happened.

The trade will likely sting for a while for Mahomes and Mavs fans, as Dončić was the face of the franchise and seemed like he would be in town for a while. Now, he'll suit up for the Lakers instead.

Mahomes expressed how much the trade hurt on social media Saturday night.

I’m sick rn…. https://t.co/IGiojb3OXT

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 2, 2025

Mahomes can't let the trade impact his emotions too much as he's preparing for a big game in less than a week. The Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl next Sunday as Kansas City looks to become the first team ever to three-peat.

After the season is over, Mahomes will have plenty of time to mourn Dončić's exit.

Travis Kelce was fined $11,255 for taunting during the Kansas City Chiefs' 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg.

Kelce received the fine for his actions after Patrick Mahomes found the end zone for a one-yard score in the second quarter, taunting Buffalo safeties Damar Hamlin and Cole Bishop. The star tight end wasn't penalized at the time.

Mahomes makes it a two-possession game!

📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/7E6dNJJKxM

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2025

Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips responded by making helmet-to-helmet contact with Kelce, which also resulted in a $6,722 unnecessary roughness fine from the league (via Getzenberg).

Kelce finished the game with two catches for 19 yards, his lowest amount in any playoff game throughout his career.

Still, the Chiefs punched their ticket to a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance with a 35-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with just under four minutes remaining to go along with multiple defensive stops.

The @Chiefs take the lead with 3:33 to play.

📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/MV7M8MgILT

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2025

The Chiefs make the stop on fourth down!

📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/s4rXNURB3z

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2025

Per the NFL's fines and appeals schedule, taunting results in a $11,255 fine for a first offense. If Kelce commits another taunting violation, the next fine will rise to $16,883.

It shouldn't be too hard for the three-time Super Bowl champion to avoid another offense as he was only fined once during the 2024 season prior to his violation in the conference title game, per Spotrac.

Kelce was fined $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct during Kansas City's 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. After breaking the franchise touchdown record with a score in the fourth quarter, he paid tribute to Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez by dunking the football over the crossbar.

While Kelce finished below the 1,000-yard threshold for the second consecutive season in 2024, he remained a key part of Kansas City's passing attack. In 16 starts, he hauled in 97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns.

Mahomes to Kelce is back in action 🚀

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/TJf3kwcScZ

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 6, 2024

As the Chiefs attempt to become the first team in NFL history to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in three straight years, Kelce faces a hefty fine for his actions against the Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

Taylor Swift may have been in Kansas City to see the Chiefs win the AFC Championship Game, but Travis Kelce might not be in Los Angeles for Sunday's Grammy Awards.

TMZ Sports reported Friday that Kelce will be staying with the Chiefs and preparing for Super Bowl LIX rather than attending the event with Swift.

The Recording Academy announced Thursday that Swift is joining the awards show as a presenter. She will be up for six Grammys, including Album of the Year.

Kelce also missed the 2024 Grammys, during which Swift won the Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album awards.

"I wish I could go support Taylor at the Grammys and watch her win every single award that she's nominated for," Kelce said in January 2024 appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "Unfortunately, I gotta get ready for this big old Super Bowl that we got in a week."

Kelce then said after Swift's 2024 Grammy wins that he would "have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware, too."

The defending champion Chiefs went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers for a second straight Lombardi Trophy, and Swift was present to celebrate with Kelce at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.

Kelce will now hope to achieve a similar result when the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in hopes of a three-peat at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome. Super Bowl kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Chase Daniel believes past animosity between Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll could get in the way of the two reuniting with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders announced Carroll's hiring last Saturday after the former Seattle Seahawks coach spent a year away from the NFL.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe then named Wilson as a "name I've heard to watch" as the Raiders' next quarterback, adding that Wilson and Carroll have "mended fences" since their time together in Seattle.

"Immediate reaction is, did we forget that Russell tried to get Pete fired?" Daniel asked on Friday's episode of the Scoop City podcast with Dianna Russini (28:00 mark of the video below.) "So, how did they mend it, did they mend it, are we sure it's actually mended?"

The Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March 2022. The following year, The Athletic reported that Wilson "requested the team fire coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider" before the trade.

The Athletic reported that Wilson was "convinced that Carroll and Schneider were inhibiting his quest to win additional Super Bowls and individual awards," and that he wanted the Seahawks to hire former New Orleans Saints coach and current Denver Broncos leader Sean Payton as Carroll's replacement.

Wilson denied the report while describing Carroll as "a father figure to me" in a response on social media.

I love Pete and he was a father figure to me and John believed in me and drafted me as well. I never wanted them fired. All any of us wanted was to win.

l’ll always have respect for them and love for Seattle.

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 24, 2023

When asked about the possibility of reuniting with Wilson on a Tuesday episode of the Rich Eisen Show, Carroll said it was too early to make any conclusions.

"Free agency hasn't come yet. That's the first competitive opportunity that will occur," Carroll told Eisen. "Then the draft is coming. We'll have that opportunity. I can't tell you right now. I could guess, but it would just be a guess."

The Raiders are in need of a new quarterback in 2025 after both Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew struggled at the position last season, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport recently reported he believes Wilson "wanted to play for the Raiders last year" before signing with the Steelers.

As Howe put it, "Wilson could be a stopgap while the Raiders develop a long-term answer" should the team want to sign him to a short-term contract ahead of his age-27 season.

Wilson said after the Steelers were eliminated from the Wild Card round by the Baltimore Ravens that his "plan" was to return to Pittsburgh.

But the Steelers could decide to turn to a younger and potentially cheaper option in Justin Fields heading into 2025. That would free Wilson up for a potential reunion with his former coach should Carroll look to add a veteran option to his new quarterback room.

Tom Brady knows excellence when he sees it, and he reportedly has no plans on letting excellence walk out the door in his role as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

"He has his hands all over everything," Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Friday on her Scoop City show (31:50 mark). "… He's going to make sure that Maxx Crosby is a pillar of the Las Vegas Raiders. You can't move on from a guy like Maxx Crosby."

Crosby is signed through the 2026 campaign and remains one of the best pass-rushers in football, so it makes sense Brady doesn't want to lose him.

Yet the 27-year-old brought up his future this month during an appearance on Good Morning Football (h/t Tashan Reed of The Athletic) and said, "I'm currently under contract, but I have no guaranteed money left. There are a lot of things that need to be discussed. ... Regardless, I'm in a great place, and we're going to have those discussions real soon."

Perhaps those discussions will include a contract extension given Brady's reported feelings on the pass-rusher.

Crosby is coming off his fourth straight Pro Bowl campaign that saw him post 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks and five passes defended in 12 games. Had he played all 17 games, he could have reached double-digit sacks for the third straight year.

He is a source of stability for a Raiders organization that has cycled through head coaches and quarterbacks of late and will be starting a new era in 2025 under head coach Pete Carroll.

Brady apparently doesn't want to lose that stability and star power along the defensive front and will do what it takes to make sure he doesn't.