The Patrick Mahomes era has brought up a lively debate about the best Kansas City Chiefs players of all time. While some active players are obviously part of the discussion, several past players have clearly earned a spot on the list.
Let’s take a look at the 10 best Chiefs players of all time.
10. Priest Holmes
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes.
- Years as a Chief: 2001-2007
- Titles & awards:
- 3-time First-Team All Pro (2001-2003)
- 3-time Pro Bowler (2001-2003)
- Super Bowl champion (2001)
- NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2002, 2003)
- NFL rushing yards leader (2001)
- NFL scoring leader (2002)
- Offensive Player of the Year (2002)
- Career regular season stats:
- 8,172 rushing yards
- 86 rushing touchdowns
- 4.6 YPC
- 339 receptions
- 2,962 receiving yards
- 8 receiving touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 221 rushing yards
- 2 rushing touchdowns
- 5.2 yards YPC
- 6 catches
- 36 receiving yards
- Iconic performance: November 24, 2002 @ Seattle Seahawks
- 197 rushing yards
- 2 rushing touchdowns
- 110 receiving yards
- 1 receiving touchdown
Priest Holmes was one of the most dominant NFL rushers of the early 2000s. He set an NFL record in 2002 when he scored 27 touchdowns on the ground, and he scored a total of 51 touchdowns from 2001-2002. He amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in each season from 2001-2003 and averaged a whopping 5.6 YPC over that timeframe. His ability to shake defenders with elusiveness and/or power made him the driving force of Kansas City’s offense during his prime years. Not bad for a player who went undrafted.
9. Jamaal Charles
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.
- Years as Chief: 2008-2016
- Titles & awards:
- 2-time First-Team All Pro (2010, 2013)
- 4-time Pro Bowler (2010, 2012-2014)
- NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2013)
- NFL Top 100 (2011, 2013-2016)
- Career regular season stats:
- 7,563 rushing yards
- 44 rushing touchdowns
- 5.4 YPC
- 2,593 receiving yards, 20 receiving touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 100 rushing yards
- 1 rushing touchdown
- 8.3 YPC
- Iconic performance: December 15, 2013 @ Oakland Raiders
- 8 receptions
- 195 receiving yards
- 5 total touchdowns
Jamaal Charles’ efficiency as a runner and pass catcher was unmatched during his time with the Chiefs. His elusiveness had defenders frequently grasping at air, and his dual-threat ability made him a nightmare to defend in the run and pass game. He amassed over 1,300 yards from scrimmage in five of the nine seasons he was in Kansas City, and his 5.4 YPC career average is the best ever for an RB in NFL history. He also averaged 1.28 YPC above league average during his career, which is also the best in NFL history.
8. Tyreek Hill
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
- Years as Chief: 2016-2021
- Titles & awards:
- 5-time First-Team All Pro (4 with KC)
- 8-time Pro Bowler (7 with KC)
- Super Bowl champion (2020)
- NFL receiving yards leader (2023)
- NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
- Career regular season stats:
- 730 receptions
- 10,333 receiving yards
- 77 receiving touchdowns
- 778 rushing yards
- 7 rushing touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 96 receptions
- 1,212 receiving yards
- 6 receiving touchdowns
- Iconic performance: November 29, 2020 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 13 receptions
- 269 receiving yards
- 3 receiving touchdowns
When you look up “explosive” in the dictionary there will be a picture of Tyreek Hill next to it. With the Chiefs, the 5-foot-10 WR had game-breaking speed and arguably changed the way defenses cover the deep ball. He holds the Chiefs franchise record for the most receiving yards per game (72.9), which is why he deserves to be on this list.
7. Will Shields
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Will Shields.
- Years as Chief: 1993-2006
- Titles & awards:
- 2-time First-Team All-Pro (2002, 2003)
- 12-time Pro Bowler
- NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
- NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year (2003)
- Career regular season stats: 223 starts
- Career postseason stats: 8 starts
Having not missed a game during his 14-year NFL career, Will Shields was the epitome of consistency. He solidified the interior of Kansas City’s offensive line and was a key component to RB Priest Holmes’ success in the early 2000s. In 2003, Shields was part of a Chiefs offensive line that gave up just 19 sacks the entire season, a franchise record. Shields, who has the second most games played by a Chiefs player in franchise history, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
6. Bobby Bell
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs linebacker/defensive end Bobby Bell.
- Years as Chief: 1963-1974
- Titles & awards:
- First-Team All Pro (1970)
- 5-time First-Team All AFL
- 9-time Pro Bowler
- 6-time AFL All Star
- Super Bowl champion (1970)
- AFL champion (1966)
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
- NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
- AFL All-Time Team
- Career regular season stats:
- 26 interceptions
- 15 fumble recoveries
- 9 total touchdowns
Bobby Bell was an incredibly versatile defender for his time. Despite earning all-league honors early in his professional career as a defensive end, head coach Hank Stram moved him to outside linebacker, where Bell continued to thrive. He holds franchise records for most defensive touchdowns, most fumble recoveries and most pick-sixes (6), and he is second in franchise history for the most consecutive games played (168). Bell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983, becoming the first Chiefs player to be enshrined.
5. Len Dawson
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson.
- Years as Chief: 1963-1975
- Titles & awards:
- 2-Time First-Team All AFL
- 6-time AFL All Star
- Super Bowl champion (1970)
- Super Bowl MVP
- 3-time AFL champion
- AFL Championship MVP (1966)
- AFL All-Time Team
- NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year (1973)
- Career regular season stats:
- 28,711 passing yards
- 239 passing touchdowns
- 183 interceptions
- 1,293 rushing yards
- 9 rushing touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 1,497 passing yards
- 7 touchdowns
- 8 interceptions
- 103 rushing yards
- Iconic performance: November 1, 1964 vs. Denver Broncos
- 435 passing yards
- 6 passing touchdowns
Len Dawson was immortalized in Chiefs Kingdom when he led the Chiefs to their first-ever championship, in 1970. His high-level accuracy paired with his elite decision making made him one of the best QBs of his time and the second best in Chiefs history. Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
4. Derrick Thomas
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas.
- Years as Chief: 1989-1999
- Titles & awards:
- 2-time First-Team All Pro (1990, 1991)
- 9-time Pro Bowler
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1989)
- NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year (1993)
- NFLPA Alan Page Community Award (1995)
- Career regular season stats:
- 641 tackles
- 126.5 sacks
- 41 forced fumbles
- 19 fumble recoveries
- 10 tackles for loss
- 4 touchdowns
- Career postseason stats: 10 tackles, 6.5 sacks
- Iconic performance: November 11, 1990 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- 7 sacks
Derrick Thomas is the best modern-era defender to wear a Chiefs uniform. When he retired, he held the franchise record for most sacks in a single season (20) and still holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single game (7). He is also the franchise leader in career sacks by a wide margin, beating second on the list (Tamba Hali) by 37 sacks. Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
3. Travis Kelce
GettyKansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
- Years as Chief: 2013-present
- Titles & awards:
- 4-time First-Team All-Pro
- 9-time Pro Bowler
- 3-time Super Bowl champion (2020, 2023, 2024)
- NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
- Career regular season stats:
- 915 receptions
- 11,397 receiving yards
- 74 receiving touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 165 receptions
- 1,903 receiving yards
- 19 receiving touchdowns
- Iconic performance: December 16, 2021 @ Los Angeles Chargers
- 10 catches
- 191 receiving yards
- 2 receiving touchdowns
Travis Kelce will likely go down as the best pass-catching TE of all time. He changed the way the tight end position is played and has caused a ripple effect throughout the NFL, as many teams are trying to replicate the success that Kelce has had since beginning his NFL career. His ability to dissect defensive coverages bundled with his vision and athleticism led him to an NFL record seven consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He is the franchise leader in receiving yards and has the second most receiving touchdowns in Chiefs history (74). Kelce also has the most receptions among all pass catchers in NFL postseason history and has the second most receiving yards among all pass catchers in postseason history.
2. Tony Gonzalez
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.
- Years as Chief: 1997-2008
- Titles & awards:
- 6-time First-Team All Pro (5 with KC)
- 14-time Pro Bowler (10 with KC)
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
- NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
- Career regular season stats:
- 1,325 receptions
- 15,127 receiving yards
- 111 touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 30 receptions
- 286 receiving yards
- 4 receiving touchdowns
- Iconic performance: December 4, 2000 @ New England Patriots
- 11 receptions
- 147 receiving yards
- 1 receiving touchdown
If Travis Kelce is the 1A in terms of best pass-catching tight ends of all time, then Tony Gonzalez is 1B. When Gonzalez retired in 2013, he had the second most receptions and fifth most receiving yards, not just for tight ends but for all players, in NFL history. When he left the Chiefs in 2008, he held 20 franchise records, including most receptions by a pass catcher (916) and most receiving yards (10,940). Gonzalez, who missed only two regular season games during his time in Kansas City, is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in franchise history.
1. Patrick Mahomes
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
- Years as Chief: 2017-present
- Titles & awards:
- 2-time First-Team All Pro (2018, 2022)
- 6-time Pro Bowler
- 3-time Super Bowl champion (2020, 2023, 2024)
- 3-time Super Bowl MVP
- 2-time NFL Most Valuable Player (2018,2022)
- NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2018)
- Career regular season stats:
- 29,083 passing yards
- 224 touchdowns
- 67 interceptions
- 1,985 rushing yards
- 12 rushing touchdowns
- Career postseason stats:
- 5,135 passing yards
- 41 touchdowns
- 8 interceptions
- 524 rushing yards
- 5 rushing touchdowns
- Iconic performance: November 19, 2018 @ Los Angeles Rams
- 478 passing yards
- 6 passing touchdowns
- 3 interceptions
Patrick Mahomes holds 10 Chiefs career passing records and also has the second-highest passer rating in NFL history among players with at least 1,500 pass attempts (103.5). He also owns the franchise’s postseason records for passing yards (5,135), touchdown passes (41), completions (456), attempts (672), completion percentage (67.9), passer rating (105.8) and rushing yards (524). Simply put, when Mahomes calls it a career, he will go down as not just the best Chiefs player of all time but one of the greatest NFL players of all time.
Who did we miss? Share your top Chiefs players in the comments section below!
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The 10 Best Chiefs Players of All Time, Ranked