With a first-ever in sight, the collapsed at the final hurdle in a humbling defeat last weekend to the . What most expected would be a close Super Bowl and a narrow win turned in to a laugher; the had built a 34-0 lead late in the third quarter and had sufficient breathing room to withstand a late -led rally in a 40-22 victory.

unfolded the way it did in part due to ' ineffectiveness throwing the football. In a pass-heavy scheme, the three-time champion struggled to push the ball downfield and suffered six sacks. Mahomes was intercepted twice, with returning one of those picks for a touchdown, and overall endured a terrible time against Philadelphia's defensive front -- which hardly blitzed over the 60 minutes of game time.

Amid defensive tackle ' comments about the Chiefs "being used to winning", some have theorized that suffered from "", the culmination of three consecutive deep playoff runs that led to exhaustion around the Chiefs' locker room.

It can be said that winning consistently breeds complacency, but Mahomes himself has disputed the notion that the Chiefs grew complacent after consecutive Super Bowl wins in 2022 and 2023. For one, -- a broken vow that haunted him in the press room at the in .

"Any time you lose the Super Bowl, it's just the worst feeling in the world. It'll stick with you for the rest of your career. ," Mahomes said. "It hurts probably more than the wins feel good."

The Chiefs are considered among the early favorites to reach in Santa Clara, California next season, though Travis Kelce retirement rumors continue to follow the franchise. Nevertheless, Mahomes' greatness will make Kansas City a tough out no matter what -- and the 29-year-old could enter the 2025 NFL season with a larger chip on his shoulder than ever before, as fans and analysts endlessly debate his legacy.