How Many Years Have The Chiefs Made The Playoffs

Okay, let’s talk about the Kansas City Chiefs and their playoff obsession. You know that friend who shows up to every party with a themed costume? That’s the Chiefs in January. They’ve made the playoffs 17 times since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. That’s more than some franchises have had winning seasons. And in the Patrick Mahomes era? They’ve missed the postseason exactly never—unless you count the year he was a rookie backup, which I don’t, because that’s like counting a rain check as a date.

The real fun starts when you look at their recent streak. Since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018, the Chiefs have made the playoffs every single year—that’s six consecutive appearances by the end of the 2023 season. To put that in perspective, that’s longer than most people’s commitment to a gym membership. And they’ve gone to four Super Bowls in that span, winning three. It’s like they have a permanent reservation at the postseason table, while the rest of the NFL is fighting for leftover breadsticks.

The Dark Ages: When Playoffs Were a Myth

But let’s not pretend the Chiefs were always this cool. Before Mahomes, there were decades of pain. From 1971 to 1989, the Chiefs made the playoffs exactly twice. That’s worse than my cooking record. In fact, they had a 17-year drought between 1971 and 1986 where they didn’t sniff the postseason. Imagine being a fan then—you’d get excited about a 9-7 season because you’d never seen a playoff game in person. “Hey, we tied the Raiders in Week 12! That’s basically a trophy!”

The low point came in 2008 and 2012, when they posted a combined 6-26 record. The playoffs? A fantasy. The team was so bad that fans started making memes about the “Arrowhead Abyss.” But here’s the twist: that misery made the current success taste like victory nachos with extra cheese. You don’t appreciate the buffet until you’ve survived on stale crackers.

The Mahomes Magic: A Box of Miracles

When Mahomes arrived, the Chiefs became a playoff juggernaut. They’ve now made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons as a starter (including his rookie year on the bench). That’s a 85.7% success rate—better than most marriages in Hollywood. And they’ve won at least one playoff game in every single one of those appearances. That streak is currently six years running, which is the second longest active streak in the NFL. Only the Chiefs and the Kansas City weather are predictable in January—and the weather is way more unreliable.

Patrick Mahomes Wins 2024 Super Bowl MVP After Chiefs Defeat 49ers

Here’s a mind-blower: the Chiefs have made the playoffs in four different decades since the merger: the 1970s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2020s. That’s like a time traveler who only shows up when it’s cold. They’ve done it with three different quarterbacks—Len Dawson, Joe Montana (briefly), and Mahomes. Montana only played there two seasons and took them to the playoffs once, which is like borrowing a friend’s Ferrari for a week and still getting a speeding ticket.

Surprising fact: The Chiefs have a 0.500 or better playoff record in every decade except the 1970s (0-2). They went 1-1 in the 1990s, 1-1 in the 2000s, and then exploded into a 15-3 record since 2018. That’s a 83% win percentage in the postseason. Compare that to the Buffalo Bills’ playoff record since 2000, and you’ll cry into your wings. The Chiefs have more playoff wins in the last six years than the entire Chicago Bears franchise has since 1986. Let that sink in.

Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce lead Chiefs to Super Bowl win

What the Numbers Say About the Future

Will the Chiefs keep this up? Statistically, they’ve made the playoffs 17 times in 54 years—roughly 31% of the time since the merger. But since Mahomes took over, it’s 100%. That’s like going from “failing algebra” to “winning the Math Olympiad every year.” If you bet on them to miss the playoffs, you’d be broke by now. And with a young core under contract through 2026, it’s safe to say the streak will hit at least seven years by the time you read this—assuming they don’t all get abducted by aliens.

So, how many years have the Chiefs made the playoffs? In the Mahomes era, all of them. In the grand history of the franchise, more than you think, but less than you’d hope if you’re a fan of the New York Jets. The takeaway? If you’re a Chiefs fan, buy a cozy blanket and a subscription to NFL RedZone. You’re going to be watching football in January for the foreseeable future. And if you’re a hater? Well, grab a snack. The party’s not ending anytime soon.