| Team: | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Record: | 14–2 |
| Division Place: | 1st AFC West |
| Coach: | Andy Reid |
| Owner: | The Hunt family |
| Stadium: | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Browns) 22–17 Won AFC Championship (vs. Bills) 38–24 Lost Super Bowl LV (vs. Buccaneers) 9−31 |
| Mvp: | Travis Kelce |
| Roy: | Clyde Edwards-Helaire |
| Shortnavlink: | Chiefs seasons |
The 2020 Kansas City Chiefs season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 61st season overall and their eighth under head coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs, who entered the season as defending Super Bowl LIV champions, qualified for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, tying a franchise record set from 1990 to 1995 and won the division for the fifth consecutive year. They finished with a franchise-record and league-leading 14 wins. The Chiefs appeared in Super Bowl LV, their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance and fourth in franchise history, but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31–9. With the loss, the Chiefs became the sixth defending Super Bowl champion to lose the next year's game, after the 1978 Dallas Cowboys, the 1983 Washington Redskins, the 1997 Green Bay Packers, the 2014 Seattle Seahawks, and the 2017 New England Patriots.
In the offseason, the Chiefs released the longest tenured player in franchise history, punter Dustin Colquitt, who had been with the team since 2005. Colquitt was later signed to the Chiefs practice squad shortly before the playoffs.
The biggest move of the offseason, however, was signing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a ten-year, $503-million-dollar extension, the largest contract in American sports history.[1]
On August 17, the Chiefs announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their stadium will be filled at about 22% capacity, or about 16,000 fans. Additionally, fans in attendance will be required to wear a face covering when they are not actively eating or drinking. Season tickets were not sold, however, season ticket holders from 2019 that did not cancelled season tickets, still had the option to buy season tickets in 2021.[2]
After a 34–20 Week 3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs set a franchise record for consecutive wins including the playoffs with 12.[3] The streak was snapped two weeks later at 13 with a Week 5 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.[4] Following a Week 4 victory over the New England Patriots, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to open their season 4–0 in four consecutive seasons.[5] The Chiefs clinched their fifth consecutive AFC West title after defeating the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. The victory also gave the Chiefs their first 12–1 record in franchise history.[6] A Week 16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons gave the Chiefs their franchise record 14th win. It also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Chiefs finished the season undefeated on the road for the first time in franchise history and with a 14–2 overall record, the best in the NFL during the season. In doing so, the Chiefs became the first team since the 2016 New England Patriots to achieve an 8-0 road record in the regular season.
Following their win in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Browns, Kansas City became the first AFC team ever to host three consecutive conference championship games, and the second team in NFL history to host three consecutive conference championships. The other team was the Philadelphia Eagles from 2002–04, who were also coached by Andy Reid.[7] The win also gave the Chiefs their 3rd consecutive season winning at least one playoff game, after losing 11 of their previous 12 playoff games. In the AFC Championship, the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 38–24 and advanced to Super Bowl LV, their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance and fourth all-time Super Bowl appearance. They went on to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, becoming the first team since the 2017 New England Patriots to win a Super Bowl but lose the following one the next season.
See main article: NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
The Chiefs had six players named to the Top 100. Tight end Travis Kelce is the only player who was ranked higher than the previous season. Defending Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the highest rated Chiefs player on the list at fourth. Mahomes selection of fourth (behind fellow quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson, as well as defensive tackle Aaron Donald) drew criticism from multiple NFL analysts and fans.[8] SB Nation’s Chiefs site Arrowhead Pride said they will no longer report on the Top 100 following Mahomes being selected fourth.[9]
| Rank | Player | Position | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | 0 | |
| 18 | Travis Kelce | Tight end | 3 | |
| 22 | Tyreek Hill | Wide receiver | 3 | |
| 39 | Tyrann Mathieu | Safety | NR | |
| 52 | Chris Jones | Defensive tackle | 16 | |
| 95 | Frank Clark | Defensive end | 10 |
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Coaching staff changes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Old coach | Position | New coach | |
| Vacant | Passing game coordinator | Mike Kafka | |
| Assistant special teams coordinator | Andy Hill |
Below are players signed following the conclusion of the 2019 season, some of the players signed spent a portion of the 2019 NFL season on the practice squad and/or active roster.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Players added | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| DE | ||
| S | ||
| Felton Davis | WR | |
| Gehrig Dieter | WR | |
| Jody Fortson | WR | |
| CB | ||
| LB | ||
| Daniel Helm | TE | |
| Braxton Hoyett* | DT | |
| Nick Keizer* | TE | |
| C | ||
| Chris Lammons | CB | |
| Devaroe Lawrence | DT | |
| John Lovett | FB | |
| Elijah McGuire | RB | |
| Tyler Newsome | P | |
| G | ||
| T | ||
| TE | ||
| Emmanuel Smith | LB | |
| Andrew Soroh | S | |
| QB | ||
| S | ||
| DE | ||
| RB |
Below are players who were on the roster at the end of the 2019 season, but were either released or did not re-sign after their contract expired.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Players lost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| TE | ||
| CB | ||
| P | ||
| Felton Davis | WR | |
| CB | ||
| OLB | ||
| S | ||
| Marcus Marshall | RB | |
| RB | ||
| DE | ||
| LB | ||
| CB | ||
| DE | ||
| RB | ||
| DT | ||
| G | ||
| David Wells | TE |
See main article: 2020 NFL draft.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Draft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | |
| 32 | LSU | ||||
| 2 | 63 | Mississippi State | |||
| 3 | 96 | TCU | |||
| 4 | 138 | Louisiana Tech | |||
| 5 | 177 | Michigan | |||
| 7 | 237 | Tulane |
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Undrafted Free Agents | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | College | |
| Washington | |||
| Hakeem Bailey | West Virginia | ||
| Rodney Clemons | SMU | ||
| Marshall | |||
| Jarvaris Davis | Auburn | ||
| Missouri | |||
| Jovahn Fair | OT | Temple | |
| Pittsburgh | |||
| Aleva Hifo | BYU | ||
| Michigan | |||
| Jalen Julius | Mississippi State | ||
| Vanderbilt | |||
| Michigan | |||
| Justice Shelton-Mosley | Vanderbilt | ||
| Florida | |||
| Missouri S&T | |||
| Cody White | Michigan State | ||
| Darryl Williams | Mississippi State | ||
| Bryan Wright | Cincinnati |
Below are players who were signed and released in the offseason before playing a game for the Chiefs in the 2020 season. These players were not a part of the final roster cut downs prior to the start of the regular season.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Signed and released in the offseason | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| DT | ||
| TE | ||
| QB | ||
| QB | ||
| RB | ||
| Cody White | WR | |
| JaVarius Davis | CB | |
| Jovahn Fair | G | |
| Jalen Julius | S | |
| John Lovett | FB | |
| Tyler Newsome | P | |
| Byran Wright | LB | |
| Andrew Soroh | S | |
| Aleva Hifo | WR | |
| WR | ||
| Hakeem Bailey | CB | |
| LB |
On July 24, 2020, NFL owners and the NFL Players Association approved giving players the option to opt out of playing during the entire 2020 season as precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The players listed below opted-out before the August 6 deadline and did not play.[10]
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs COVID-19 opt-outs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| G | ||
| RB | ||
| OT |
The following players were released to bring the roster to the league mandated 53 players before week 1. In addition to the following 24 players being released, the Chiefs also placed two players on the reserve/suspended list and placed one player on the PUP list.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Final roster cutdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| T | ||
| Rodney Clemons | DB | |
| LB | ||
| S | ||
| WR | ||
| WR | ||
| WR | ||
| LB | ||
| Daniel Helm | TE | |
| DB | ||
| Braxton Hoyett | DT | |
| G | ||
| CB | ||
| DT | ||
| WR | ||
| RB | ||
| QB | ||
| T | ||
| Justice Shelton-Mosley | WR | |
| DE | ||
| QB | ||
| DE | ||
| DeAndré Washington | RB | |
| Darryl Williams | OL |
All transactions listed in this section occurred after the Chiefs released their initial 53 player roster.
The players listed below served a suspension at some point during the season. The length, reason, and weeks served are all listed below.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Suspensions served | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Reason | Length | Weeks served | |
| Bashaud Breeland[11] | CB | Personal conduct and positive test for marijuana | 4 games | 1–4 | |
| Mike Pennel[12] | DT | Positive test for | 2 games | 1–2 |
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Practice squad elevations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Final status* | |
| DT | Ravens | ||
| RB | Dolphins roster | ||
| LB | Chiefs roster | ||
| G | Steelers roster | ||
| WR | Chiefs roster | ||
| G | Chiefs PS | ||
| WR | Chiefs PS | ||
| DE | Chiefs roster | ||
| CB | Chiefs roster | ||
| G | Chiefs roster | ||
| CB | Chiefs PS | ||
| LB | Chiefs PS | ||
| LB | Chiefs PS |
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs cuts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | |
| CB | ||
| Ricky Seals-Jones | TE |
The following players spent a portion of the season on injured reserve and were eventually activated off of it.
| 2020 Kansas City Chiefs Injured reserve returns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Date added | Date removed | |
| DT | September 19 | October 24 | ||
| CB | September 30 | November 21 | ||
| DT | October 10 | October 31 | ||
| DE | October 24 | November 21 |
The Chiefs' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Arrowhead Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2 | at Arizona Cardinals | State Farm Stadium | ||
| 3 | at Dallas Cowboys | AT&T Stadium | ||
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | Arrowhead Stadium |
As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs earned the right to host the NFL Kickoff Game, which occurred on September 10. The Chiefs' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.[13]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | Houston Texans | W 34–20 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 2 | September 20 | at Los Angeles Chargers | W 23–20 | 2–0 | SoFi Stadium | Recap | |
| 3 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 34–20 | 3–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | New England Patriots | W 26–10 | 4–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | L 32–40 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 6 | at Buffalo Bills | W 26–17 | 5–1 | Bills Stadium | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 25 | at Denver Broncos | W 43–16 | 6–1 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap | |
| 8 | November 1 | New York Jets | W 35–9 | 7–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 9 | November 8 | Carolina Panthers | W 33–31 | 8–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 10 | Bye | ||||||
| 11 | November 22 | at Las Vegas Raiders | W 35–31 | 9–1 | Allegiant Stadium | Recap | |
| 12 | November 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–24 | 10–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
| 13 | December 6 | Denver Broncos | W 22–16 | 11–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 14 | December 13 | at Miami Dolphins | W 33–27 | 12–1 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap | |
| 15 | December 20 | at New Orleans Saints | W 32–29 | 13–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap | |
| 16 | December 27 | Atlanta Falcons | W 17–14 | 14–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| 17 | January 3 | Los Angeles Chargers | L 21–38 | 14–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
See also: 2020–21 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | ||||||
| Divisional | January 17 | Cleveland Browns (6) | W 22–17 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| AFC Championship | January 24 | Buffalo Bills (2) | W 38–24 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap | |
| Super Bowl LV | February 7 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (N5) | L 9–31 | 2–1 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | |
See also: Super Bowl LV.