List of Kansas City Chiefs seasons
The Kansas City Chiefs have completed 61 seasons in professional American football and 51 with the National Football League (NFL). This article documents the season-by-season records of the Chiefs franchise from 1960 to the conclusion of their most recent season in 2019, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches.
The team began play as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960 as the Dallas Texans. Following the 1962 AFL season, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri and was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs. The team has played in 932 total games in a total of 61 seasons, and a winning percentage of .538. The Chiefs' 14–2 season in 2020 remains their best regular season record to date while their 2–14 records in 2008 and 2012 remain their worst.
The Texans/Chiefs were the winningest team in the history of the AFL, compiling an 87–48 record from 1960 to 1969. The team won three league championships and served as the AFL's representative in Super Bowls I and IV in the 1966 and 1969 seasons. Since the franchise's alignment to the NFL in 1970, they have won ten division titles, with five straight from 2016 to 2020, and eight wild card playoff berths, four of which were between 1990 and 1997 when the team never lost as many games as it won. Despite the franchise's early success, the Chiefs did not win a postseason game between the 1993 and 2015 playoffs, and their victory on January 11, 1970 was the franchise's lone Super Bowl title until February 2, 2020. It was also a long drought between AFC Championship games, with their appearance in the 2018 playoffs being their first since 1993. The Chiefs' first home AFC Championship game ended in an overtime defeat as the New England Patriots moved on to win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl ring.
The Chiefs have suffered two main periods of failure. Between 1972 and 1985 the Chiefs never appeared in the postseason and achieved only one winning season (in 1981) from 1974 until 1985. Between 2007 and 2012, the Chiefs also struggled, with two two-win and two four-win seasons. However, the recent Chiefs have done much better, with an 82–38 record (including postseason) from the 2013 to 2019 seasons. In their eight seasons under Andy Reid, the Chiefs have six consecutive playoff seasons, and five consecutive division titles, with the team ultimately winning Super Bowl LIV for its first championship in 50 years. They have also finished with winning records every season during this span.
Seasons
| AFL Champions (1960–1969)§ | Super Bowl Champions (1966–present)† | Conference Champions* | Division Champions^ | Wild Card Berth# | One-game playoff+ |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | T | ||||||||
| Dallas Texans | |||||||||||
| 1960 | 1960 | AFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Abner Haynes (UPI/AP AFL MVP) | Hank Stram | ||
| 1961 | 1961 | AFL | Western | 2nd | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1962 | 1962 | AFL§ | Western^ | 1st^ | 11 | 3 | 0 | Won AFL Championship (1) (at Oilers) 20–17 (2 OT) | Len Dawson (TSN AFL MVP) | ||
| Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||||
| 1963 | 1963 | AFL | Western | 3rd | 5 | 7 | 2 | Hank Stram | |||
| 1964 | 1964 | AFL | Western | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 1965 | 1965 | AFL | Western | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| 1966 | 1966 | AFL§ | Western^ | 1st^ | 11 | 2 | 1 | Won AFL Championship (at Bills) 31–7 Lost Super Bowl I (vs. Packers) 35–10 |
|||
| 1967 | 1967 | AFL | Western | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 1968 | 1968 | AFL | Western | 2nd+[1] | 12 | 2 | 0 | Lost Division Playoff (at Raiders) 41–6 | Hank Stram (UPI/PFW AFL COY) | ||
| 1969 | 1969 | AFL† | Western | 2nd# | 11 | 3 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (at Jets) 13–6 Won AFL Championship (at Raiders) 17–7 Won Super Bowl IV (2) (vs. Vikings) 23–7 |
Len Dawson (SB MVP) | ||
| 1970 | 1970 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 2 | |||
| 1971 | 1971 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 10 | 3 | 1 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 27–24 (2 OT) | Otis Taylor (AFC POY) Willie Lanier (PB Co–MVP)[2] Jan Stenerud (PB Co–MVP)[2] | |
| 1972 | 1972 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Willie Lanier (NFL MOY) | ||
| 1973 | 1973 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 2 | Len Dawson (NFL MOY) | ||
| 1974 | 1974 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 5 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1975 | 1975 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 5 | 9 | 0 | Paul Wiggin | ||
| 1976 | 1976 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 5 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1977 | 1977 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 2 | 12 | 0 | Paul Wiggin (1–6) Tom Bettis (1–6) | ||
| 1978 | 1978 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | Marv Levy | ||
| 1979 | 1979 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1980 | 1980 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | |||
| 1981 | 1981 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1982 | 1982 | NFL | AFC | West | 11th[3] | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 1983 | 1983 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | John Mackovic | ||
| 1984 | 1984 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | Bill Maas (DROY) | ||
| 1985 | 1985 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | |||
| 1986 | 1986 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Jets) 35–15 | ||
| 1987[4] | 1987 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 11 | 0 | Frank Gansz | ||
| 1988 | 1988 | NFL | AFC | West | 5th | 4 | 11 | 1 | |||
| 1989 | 1989 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 8 | 7 | 1 | Derrick Thomas (DROY) Christian Okoye (OPOY) |
Marty Schottenheimer | |
| 1990 | 1990 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Dolphins) 17–16 | Barry Word (CPOY) | |
| 1991 | 1991 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Raiders) 10–6 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bills) 37–14 |
||
| 1992 | 1992 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Chargers) 17–0 | Dale Carter (DROY) | |
| 1993 | 1993 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 27–24 (OT) Won Divisional Playoffs (at Oilers) 28–20 Lost AFC Championship (at Bills) 30–13 |
Marcus Allen (CPOY) Derrick Thomas (MOY) | |
| 1994 | 1994 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Dolphins) 27–17 | ||
| 1995 | 1995 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 10–7 | Marty Schottenheimer (UPI COY) | |
| 1996 | 1996 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1997 | 1997 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 14–10 | ||
| 1998 | 1998 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1999 | 1999 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Gunther Cunningham | ||
| 2000 | 2000 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2001 | 2001 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | Dick Vermeil | ||
| 2002 | 2002 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 8 | 8 | 0 | Priest Holmes (OPOY) | ||
| 2003 | 2003 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 38–31 | Will Shields (MOY) Dick Vermeil (MFC COY) | |
| 2004 | 2004 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | 2005 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | 2006 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 9 | 7 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Colts) 23–8 | Herman Edwards | |
| 2007 | 2007 | NFL | AFC | West | 3rd | 4 | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | 2008 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 2 | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 2009 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 4 | 12 | 0 | Brian Waters (MOY) | Todd Haley | |
| 2010 | 2010 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Ravens) 30–7 | ||
| 2011 | 2011 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | Todd Haley (5–8) Romeo Crennel (2–1) | ||
| 2012 | 2012 | NFL | AFC | West | 4th | 2 | 14 | 0 | Romeo Crennel | ||
| 2013 | 2013 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Colts) 45–44 | Andy Reid | |
| 2014 | 2014 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd | 9 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 2015 | NFL | AFC | West | 2nd# | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Texans) 30–0 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Patriots) 27–20 |
Marcus Peters (DROY) Eric Berry (CPOY) | |
| 2016 | 2016 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 18–16 | ||
| 2017 | 2017 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Titans) 22–21 | ||
| 2018 | 2018 | NFL | AFC | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 31–13 Lost AFC Championship (Patriots) 37–31 (OT) |
Patrick Mahomes (MVP, OPOY) | |
| 2019 | 2019 | NFL† | AFC* | West^ | 1st^ | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Texans) 51–31 Won AFC Championship (Titans) 35–24 Won Super Bowl LIV (3) (vs. 49ers) 31–20 |
Patrick Mahomes (SB MVP) | |
| 2020 | 2020 | NFL | AFC* | West^ | 1st^ | 14 | 2 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Browns) 22–17 Won AFC Championship (Bills) 38–24 Super Bowl LV (vs. Buccaneers) | ||
| Total | 495 | 425 | 12 | (1960–2020, includes only regular season) | |||||||
| 15 | 19 | — | (1960–2019, includes only playoffs) | ||||||||
| 510 | 444 | 12 | (1960–2020, includes both regular season and playoffs; 3 AFL Championships, 2 Super Bowl Championships) | ||||||||
Footnotes
- ^ The Chiefs and Oakland Raiders both finished the 1968 American Football League season with a 12–2 record. The teams played a one game playoff. The Raiders won the game and the Western Division championship.
- ^ a b Lanier and Stenerud were named Defensive MVP and Offensive MVP of the 1972 Pro Bowl
- ^ Due to the 1982 NFL Players Association strike, teams were ranked by conference instead of divisional standings.
- ^ Due to the 1987 NFL Players Association strike, the season was shortened to 15 games.
References
- "Kansas City Chiefs History". CBS Sportsline. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- "NFL Football History". CBS Sportsline. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- "Kansas City Chiefs Franchise History". Kansas City Chiefs History Website. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- "NFL.com – History – Yearly Standings". NFL official website. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- "Pro Football Hall of Fame – Kansas City Chiefs". Pro Football Hall of Fame Website. Retrieved June 7, 2008.
- "Kansas City Chiefs History". Football @ JT-SW.com. John M. Troan. Retrieved February 4, 2020.