It's a new era of Kansas City Chiefs football, and one that it's younger fans definitely aren't used to.
After suffering their first losing season since Andy Reid took over and not reaching the AFC Championship Game for the first time since Patrick Mahomes became the starter, oddsmakers aren't so high on the Chiefs heading into 2026.
The season effectively ended when Mahomes sustained serious knee injury against the LA Chargers in Week 15 — and depending on how long that recovery takes, it could be a little bit before the team can be penciled in as legitimate Super Bowl contenders again.
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Chiefs Super Bowl odds take historic dip ahead of 2026 season
Per Yahoo Sports betting analyst Ben Fawkes, the Chiefs are staring at their worst odds of winning the Super Bowl since Patrick Mahomes supplanted Alex Smith as the team's starter eight years ago.
"The Kansas City Chiefs open with 15-1 odds to win Super Bowl LXI at @BetMGM," Fawkes shared. "Their worst preseason Super Bowl odds since Patrick Mahomes' first year as a starter in 2018."
A lot of that is due to the uncertainty of Patrick's health, along with the questions surrounding his offensive line and aging future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce.
Chiefs hope to have Travis Kelce back next year
While Kelce has held back from saying that he'll definitely be in a Chiefs uniform next season, the 36-year-old TE appeared to hint at his impending return following Kansas City's re-hiring of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
"I can't wait to see him back in the building, man," Kelce said on his "New Heights" podcast. "He's one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I've had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy."
The Chiefs reportedly plan to talk about Travis' future now that Super Bowl 60 has concluded. We'll see if his coming back potentially improves KC's preseason odds this offseason.