Hail to the Chiefs

Lore & Background

The Chiefs started the season 3–4 but finished 12–5, winning the AFC West for the sixth consecutive season and 14th overall. They hosted their fourth straight conference championship but lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime 27–24. This was the final season with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins on March 23, 2022. Head coach Andy Reid recorded his 100th win as Chiefs head coach on October 3, 2021, a 42–30 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Arrowhead Stadium is thick enough to taste, a mixture of autumn chill and the electric static of sixty thousand voices holding their breath. As the final whistle blows on a defensive stand, the band strikes up the first brassy notes of "Hail to the Chiefs." It starts low, a rumble beneath the concrete, then swells into a soaring crescendo that shakes the bleachers. A sea of red erupts in unison, arms chopping in time with the beat, while the players on the sideline tap their helmets, eyes locked on the field. In this moment, the song isn't just music; it is a declaration of ownership over the gridiron.

Reader's Guide

The Chiefs opened the season on September 12 with a 33–29 victory over the Cleveland Browns. They lost their next two games to fall to 1–2, their first losing record in 89 games. In Week 5, they lost 20–38 to the Buffalo Bills, their first double-digit loss in the regular season since 2017. In Week 7, they lost 3–27 to the Tennessee Titans, the fewest points scored since Patrick Mahomes became quarterback. After starting 3–4, the Chiefs won nine games, clinching their ninth consecutive winning season in Week 14. In Week 16, they clinched their sixth consecutive AFC West championship and seventh straight playoff berth. They finished 12–5, their fourth consecutive 12-win season. In the playoffs, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 42–21 in the Wild Card round and the Buffalo Bills 42–36 in overtime in the Divisional round. They lost the AFC Championship game to the Bengals 24–27 in overtime.

Did You Know?

• Five Chiefs players were named to the NFL Top 100 list for 2021.
• Tight end Travis Kelce was ranked 4th, the highest ranking ever for a tight end in the history of the Top 100.
• Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was ranked 1st, the first time a Chiefs player was ranked number one.
• The Chiefs' 56–10 victory over the Raiders on October 30, 1966, remains the largest in franchise history over the Raiders (46-point margin), surpassing the 48–9 win in Week 14 of 2021 (39-point margin).
• The Divisional round win over the Bills was hailed as one of the greatest modern NFL playoff games, with both teams combining for 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation.