2023 Kansas City Chiefs season


The 2023 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 54th season in the National Football League, their 64th overall, and their eleventh under head coach Andy Reid.
The Chiefs, who entered the season as defending Super Bowl champions, became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004, along with being the second AFC West team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since their franchise rival Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998. Despite failing to match their 14–3 record during the previous year by posting an 11–6 record, they secured their eleventh consecutive winning season, and became division champions for the eighth consecutive season and a record 16th title overall. In total, the Chiefs scored 39 touchdowns during the regular season, falling from their 61 touchdowns in the prior season. The decline in touchdowns dropped the team in scoring from 2nd in the league to 15th.
In the playoffs, the Chiefs defeated the [2023 2023 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins] by the score of 26–7 in the wild card round in frigid weather, as the game was the fourth coldest game played in NFL history. In the divisional round, the team held on to a narrow 27–24 win over the [2023 2023 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills] on the road, marking their 3rd postseason victory over Buffalo in four seasons, and additionally marking Kansas City's first road postseason game in the AFC with Patrick Mahomes. They made their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance, but their first on the road, defeating the [2023 2023 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens] with a 17–10 score to advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. They defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII, which was only the second overtime in Super Bowl history and a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. The win moved the Chiefs to four Super Bowl titles, becoming the seventh franchise to accomplish that number.
The Chiefs' defense was a key part of their Super Bowl-winning season, as they had a 2nd ranked defense in terms of yardage and points per game, only behind the Ravens. Despite all four of their opponents in the playoffs having scoring offenses that finished in the top 10 in the NFL, the Chiefs only allowed 15.8 points per game in the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl MVP with two touchdown passes, including the decisive play in overtime. This marked Mahomes' third Super Bowl title in his first six years starting for the Chiefs. With the team having trailed by ten points in the second quarter, it also marked the third time in the Reid/Mahomes era the Chiefs overcame a double-digit Super Bowl deficit to win the title.
The Kansas City Chiefs drew an average home attendance of 70,968 in 9 home games in the 2023 NFL season.

''NFL Top 100''

The Chiefs only had three players ranked in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023 players for the second straight year. However, all three were ranked in the top 10. Patrick Mahomes was named the number 1 player for the 2nd time. They were the only team with multiple top 10 selections and the second team ever with three in the top 10, after the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
RankPlayerPositionChangeRefs
1Patrick MahomesQuarterback7
5Travis KelceTight end5
10Chris JonesDefensive tackle29

Offseason

All transactions in this section occurred between the end of the 2022 season and the Chiefs first preseason game.

Players lost

Below are players who were on the roster at the end of the 2022 season, but were either released or did not re-sign after their contract expired.
PlayerPositionReasonNew team
Orlando Brown Jr.LTCincinnati Bengals
Michael BurtonFBUFADenver Broncos
Frank ClarkDEReleasedDenver Broncos
Carlos DunlapDEUFAUnsigned
Mecole HardmanWRUFANew York Jets
Ronald Jones IIRBUFADallas Cowboys
Chris LammonsCBUFAIndianapolis Colts
Khalen SaundersDTUFANew Orleans Saints
JuJu Smith-SchusterWRUFANew England Patriots
Juan ThornhillSUFACleveland Browns
Andrew WylieOTUFAWashington Commanders

Futures contracts

Players signed to futures contracts would typically spend most or all of the previous season on the Chiefs' or another team's practice squad. These contracts are signed after the conclusion of the regular season through the beginning the next league year. Players with an asterisk finished the 2022 season on the Chiefs practice squad.
PlayerPosition
Kendall Blanton*TE
Dicaprio Bootle*CB
Matt Bushman*TE
Mike Caliendo*G
Cole Christiansen*LB
Jerrion Ealy*WR
Ty FryfogleWR
Chris Oladokun*QB
La'Mical Perine*RB
Cornell Powell*WR
Austin Reiter*C
John RossWR
Danny Shelton*DT
Ihmir Smith-Marsette*WR
Daniel WiseDT

Players added

Players below played for another team in 2022 and signed with the Chiefs.
PlayerPositionPrevious team
Byron CowartDEIndianapolis Colts
Matt DickersonDEAtlanta Falcons
Mike EdwardsSTampa Bay Buccaneers
Blaine GabbertQBTampa Bay Buccaneers
Sebastian GutierrezOTLas Vegas Raiders
Phil HoskinsDTKansas City Chiefs*
Lamar JacksonCBDenver Broncos
Richie JamesWRNew York Giants
Charles OmenihuDESan Francisco 49ers
Donovan SmithOTTampa Bay Buccaneers
Jawaan TaylorOTJacksonville Jaguars
Drue TranquillLBLos Angeles Chargers
Chris WilliamsDTIndianapolis Colts

Draft

'''Draft trades'''

Signed and released in the offseason

Players below were signed in the offseason but were released before the start of the preseason.
NamePosition
Blake HaynesT
Martez ManuelS
Isaiah MooreLB

Preseason transactions

Transactions below occurred between the day after Chiefs first preseason game and the day before their first regular season game.

Preseason cuts

Players below were released outside of the league mandated cut date.
NamePosition
Kekoa CrawfordWR
Anthony WitherstoneCB

Cuts to 53

Players below were released to reach the league mandated 53-player roster limit. The Chiefs also used a trade and reserve lists to reach the player limit. Additionally, the Chiefs waived three players with an injury designation who reverted to injured reserve after going unclaimed.
NamePosition
Kendall BlantonTE
Dicaprio BootleCB
Ekow Boye-DoeCB
Shane BuecheleQB
Deon BushS
Matt BushmanTE
Cole ChristiansenLB
Anthony CookS
Matt DickersonDE
Jerrion EalyRB/WR
Olakunle FatukasiLB
Ty FryfogleWR
Izaiah GathingsTE
Jason GodrickT
Juwan GreenWR
Sebastian GutierrezT
Kahlef HailassieCB
Anderson HardyT
Phil HoskinsDT
Lamar JacksonCB
Truman JonesDE
Joshua KaindohDE
Darian KinnardT
Duron LoweCB
Isiah NormanCB
Chris OladokunQB
La'Mical PerineRB
Cornell PowellWR
Deneric PrinceRB
Austin ReiterC
Ty ScottWR
Danny SheltonDT
Reese TaylorCB
Chris WilliamsDT
Daniel WiseDE

Regular season transactions

Players listed below were involved in a transaction between the Chiefs first game of the regular season and Super Bowl LVIII.

Standard elevations

Players below were activated via a standard elevation prior to a game. A standard elevation is when a team temporarily activates a player from the practice squad to the active roster and allows them to send the player back to the practice squad without needing to clear waivers first.
NamePositionWeek
Matt BushmanTE1
Matt DickersonDE1, 2, 18,
La'Mical PerineRB2, 9, 12
Cole ChristiansenLB3, 4
Montrell WashingtonWR3, 12, 16
Deon BushS8, 14
Deneric PrinceRB13, 14, 15
Mike PennelDT15, 16, 17,, DR,,
Keaontay IngramRB17
Chris OladokunQB18
Keith TaylorCBWC, AG

Signings

Players below with PS next to previous team indicates player was signed off the practice squad of the team listed
NamePositionPrevious team
Cole ChristiansenLBKansas City Chiefs PS
Matt DickersonDEKansas City Chiefs PS
Montrell WashingtonWRKansas City Chiefs PS
Darius HarrisLBLas Vegas Raiders PS
Deon BushSKansas City Chiefs PS
La'Mical PerineRBKansas City Chiefs PS
Darius HarrisLBKansas City Chiefs PS

Preseason

Game summaries

KSHB carried the preseason games in the Kansas City area. Other networks throughout the region, primarily in Missouri and Kansas, also carried the games. Broadcasters provided are the Chiefs' broadcast. The Chiefs opponents also had their own broadcast team.

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions

'''NFL Kickoff Game'''

Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars

With this victory Andy Reid became the winningest coach in Chiefs history with 130 wins, surpassing Hank Stram who won 129 games.

Week 4: at New York Jets

The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-0 lead, and while the Jets tied the game at 20-20, the Chiefs took a 23-20 lead and were able to bleed out the clock off a questionable defensive holding call on Sauce Gardner.
In Taylor Swift's second Chiefs game visiting, over 27 million people watched, the most watched Sunday TV show since Super Bowl LVII.

Week 8: at Denver Broncos

This was the first time since week 2 of the 2015 season that the Chiefs lost to the Broncos, and this was also Patrick Mahomes' first ever loss to the Broncos in his career.

Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

'''NFL Germany games'''

Week 16: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

'''Christmas Day games'''