“We will be back to it next year”: Chris Jones vows Kansas City Chiefs will return to Super Bowl contention after disappointing season

For the first time in years, the Kansas City Chiefs spent Super Bowl Sunday watching from home. No red confetti. No late-game drama. Just a long offseason ahead. A 6-11 finish brought an abrupt end to dynasty talk and forced a hard look at what went wrong. Close games slipped away. The offense lacked its usual spark. The defense gave up too many points. And when Patrick Mahomes went down with a season ending injury, the season never recovered.
The Chiefs went 1 8 in one-score games, a stat that sums up how thin the margins were. For a team that had grown used to playing for championships, this felt like a wake up call. Yet even as Super Bowl LX kicked off between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, defensive tackle Chris Jones made it clear he is not ready to accept a long rebuild.

Chris Jones sends clear message about Super Bowl LXI as Chiefs face major offseason

As the championship game began, Jones posted a confident message on X. “Took a year off; we will be back to it next year!” After the Chiefs lost the 2022 AFC Championship Game to the Cincinnati Bengals, he delivered a similar prediction. Kansas City reacted by winning back-to-back Super Bowls. That history makes people listen. Still, this version of the Chiefs faces bigger questions.
Mahomes is expected to return strongly in 2026. Andy Reid remains one of the most respected coaches in the league. Jones has already been part of three Super Bowl runs. Belief inside the locker room is not the issue. Execution is. The turnaround begins with the 2026 NFL Draft. Kansas City owns the No. 9 overall pick, its highest selection since 2013. That kind of draft position is rare for this franchise and represents a real chance to land an impact player. “Those at the highest levels of the Chiefs organization view pick no. 9 as a premium selection with a near-guaranteed opportunity to acquire a true difference-maker and a franchise pillar,” wrote AtoZ Sports’ Charles Goodman. “They’re specifically looking for a player who can elevate the offense or defense in the same way that No. 15 took the team’s game to new heights.”
Wide receiver is an obvious need. Rashee Rice served a six-game suspension earlier and now faces new domestic violence allegations from January 2026 that could bring further discipline. Xavier Worthy played through a bruised shoulder and recently had surgery. The depth chart needs help. The Chiefs could also face a decision at tight end if Travis Kelce retires before the draft.

Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.