It feels weird even typing this, but for the first time in over a decade, the postseason is happening without a sea of red and gold. If you’ve spent the last few weeks checking the TV guide for Andy Reid’s mustache or Patrick Mahomes’ sidearms, you've probably realized something is very wrong. The kansas city chiefs record for the 2025 season settled at a shocking 6-11.
Yeah, you read that right.
Six wins. Eleven losses. Third place in the AFC West.
Honestly, if you told a Chiefs fan back in August that they’d finish below .500, they would have laughed you out of the Power & Light District. But here we are. It was a season defined by "what ifs," brutal injury luck, and a late-season collapse that saw the team lose its final six games in a row. For a franchise that had basically turned the AFC Championship game into an annual invitational at Arrowhead, this wasn't just a down year; it was a total system shock.
The Brutal Reality of the Kansas City Chiefs Record
So, how does a team with a three-time MVP and a Hall of Fame coach end up with double-digit losses? It started with a slow burn and ended with a forest fire.
The Chiefs actually didn't look that bad early on. They were sitting at 5-3 heading into November. They had some gritty wins against the Ravens and Lions. It looked like the typical "Chiefs struggle early but figure it out" narrative we've seen a dozen times. Then the wheels didn't just come off—they disintegrated.
They went 1-8 over their final nine games.
The low point? It’s hard to pick just one. Maybe it was the Week 17 home loss to Denver or the Week 18 fizzle against the Raiders where they only managed 12 points. But the real heartbreak happened in Week 15 against the Chargers.
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The Injury That Changed Everything
In that Week 15 matchup, Patrick Mahomes went down with a season-ending ACL tear.
It was the moment the season officially died. Without Mahomes, the offense lost its soul. He finished the year with 3,587 passing yards and 22 touchdowns—respectable numbers, but a far cry from the video-game stats we're used to. Then the backup situation went from bad to worse. Gardner Minshew, brought in to be the veteran safety net, injured his knee almost immediately after taking over.
By the time the final two weeks rolled around, the Chiefs were starting Chris Oladokun. You can't blame the kid, but asking a third-stringer to save a sinking ship against divisional rivals is a tall order. They were swept by both the Broncos and the Chargers for the first time since the early 2010s.
Why the Defense Couldn't Save Them
Steve Spagnuolo’s defense was actually pretty legit for most of the year. Statistically, they were a top-10 unit. They allowed only 19.3 points per game. That’s usually enough to win double-digit games when you have a decent offense.
But the offense wasn't decent. It was 21st in the league in scoring.
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They couldn't run the ball consistently (18th in the league), and they were 25th in rushing yards. Travis Kelce did his thing—earning another Pro Bowl nod along with Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Chris Jones—but the spark wasn't there. When nine of your 11 losses are by seven points or less, it tells you the defense kept them in the game, but the offense just couldn't close the door.
AFC West Standings: A New King in the North(west)
The division wasn't just competitive; it was a meat grinder.
- Denver Broncos: 14-3 (Division Winners)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6 (Wild Card)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 6-11
- Las Vegas Raiders: 3-14
Watching Sean Payton and the Broncos run away with the division felt like a fever dream for KC fans. Denver went 8-1 at home. The Chargers looked rejuvenated. Meanwhile, the Chiefs went 1-7 on the road. You can't be a playoff team if you can't win outside your own zip code. It’s that simple.
Breaking the Decade-Long Streak
This season ended a lot of things. It was the first time since 2015 that the Chiefs didn't win the AFC West. It was the first time since 2014 they missed the playoffs entirely. And most painfully for the locker room, it was their first losing record since 2012—the year before Andy Reid arrived.
Basically, an entire generation of Chiefs fans has never known a world where January didn't involve a deep playoff run.
What Went Wrong in the Offseason?
Looking back, the signs were there. The team lost a lot of depth in free agency. Guys like DeAndre Hopkins, Justin Reid, and Mecole Hardman walked. They traded away their first-round pick (31st overall) to the Eagles.
While they did land tackle Josh Simmons at 32, the offensive line struggled with consistency. The receiving corps, outside of the aging Kelce, felt thin. When Mahomes is forced to play "hero ball" every single snap because nobody is getting open, eventually, the law of averages catches up to you.
Looking Toward 2026
The kansas city chiefs record is a scar, but it’s also a massive wake-up call for Brett Veach. This roster needs a youth injection.
With Mahomes expected to be back for training camp following his ACL rehab, the focus shifts entirely to protection and playmaking. They have a high draft pick for the first time in ages. That’s a silver lining. Usually, the Chiefs are picking at the tail end of the first round; now, they’ll have a chance to grab a blue-chip talent.
If you’re a fan or just a bettor looking at next season, here is what needs to happen:
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- Prioritize the ACL Rehab: Mahomes’ mobility is his greatest weapon. If he’s even 10% less mobile, the offense has to change.
- Find a True WR1: Kelce is a legend, but he can’t be the only reliable target as he gets older.
- Rebuild the Road Identity: 1-7 away from Arrowhead is unacceptable for a championship-caliber team.
The 2025 season will go down as the "lost year" in Kansas City. It was ugly, it was frustrating, and it was filled with injuries that would have sunk any team. But if history tells us anything about Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, it's that they don't stay down for long.
The next step for this organization is the 2026 NFL Draft. With a top-10 pick likely in their pockets, the front office needs to decide if they’re going for an immediate-impact receiver or more protection for their $500 million man. Keep an eye on the injury reports through the spring—Mahomes' recovery timeline will dictate everything about the Chiefs' 2026 outlook.