2022 Kansas City Chiefs

The 2022 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd overall, their 10th under head coach Andy Reid, and their sixth under general manager Brett Veach. The Chiefs finished the regular season 14–3, improving their win total from the previous season and matching the franchise record for wins.

In the offseason, the Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Hill had been with the Chiefs since 2016. The Chiefs wore a decal with the number 16 on their helmets for the entire season in honor of former Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl IV MVP Len Dawson, who died on August 24, and wore 16 his entire tenure with the Chiefs. Before the Chiefs first offensive play of the preseason game the following day, the Chiefs lined in a huddle popularized by Dawson where the quarterback stands in front of all other 10 offensive players instead of the quarterback standing in the middle with the players making a circle around him.

After their ninth victory in Week 12 over the Los Angeles Rams, the Chiefs clinched their tenth consecutive winning season, a franchise record. With a Week 15 win over the Houston Texans, they won the AFC West for the seventh consecutive year and fifteenth overall. It also was the Chiefs' franchise-record-extending eighth straight year making the playoffs. With a Week 18 win against the Raiders, and the Bills– Bengals game in Week 17 declared no contest, the Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC, but they did not home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs after the Bills beat the New England Patriots in their final game. The Chiefs hosted their fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game after the Bengals beat the Bills 27–10, where they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. In Super Bowl LVII, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35. It was the Chiefs' third Super Bowl appearance and second win in four years. Kansas City finished the season with its tenth consecutive winning record under head coach Andy Reid, going 14–3 and advancing to their third Super Bowl in the last four years with one-score wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars (Divisional Round) and Cincinnati Bengals (AFC Championship Game). 5
The Chiefs traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason for draft picks but still finished the year as the NFL's best offense, leading the league in yards (7,032) and points scored (496). 6Quarterback Patrick Mahomes made his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl and won his second NFL Most Valuable Player award, leading the league with a career-high 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns while throwing 12 interceptions. 7His passer rating of 105.2 was the second-highest in the league. He also rushed for 354 yards and four touchdowns, setting the NFL record for most combined passing and rushing yards in a season with 5,608. 8Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce was the team's leading receiver with 1,338 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The team also added in a pair of veteran receivers to help make up for the loss of Hill: JuJu Smith-Schuster (933 yards and three touchdowns) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (687 yards and two touchdowns). The Chiefs' running game was led by rookie Isiah Pacheco, who had stepped into the leading role due to a midseason injury to starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Pacheco finished the season with 830 rushing yards and five touchdowns while also gaining 130 receiving yards and returning kickoffs with an average of 20.6 yards per return. 9Veteran running back Jerick McKinnon added 803 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Their offensive line featured three Pro Bowl selections: guard Joe Thuney, tackle Orlando Brown Jr., and center Creed Humphrey. Punter Tommy Townsend also made the Pro Bowl, ranking second in the NFL in yards per punt (50.4) and leading the league with a 45.4 net average. 0
Kansas City's defensive line featured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones, who led the team with 15.5 sacks, along with defensive ends George Karlaftis (6 sacks, seven pass deflections) and Frank Clark (5 sacks). Linebacker Nick Bolton led the team with 180 combined tackles and two interceptions. The secondary was led by cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (three interceptions, 108 tackles, three forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks) and safety Juan Thornhill (three interceptions, 71 tackles). 1
This was Kansas City's fifth Super Bowl, following wins in Super Bowls IV and LIV and losses in Super Bowls I and LV. Prior to the Super Bowl era, the Chiefs won the American Football League championship in 1962. 2
The Super Bowl was the final for Norma Hunt, the widow of the Chiefs' founder, Lamar Hunt, who died in June 2023. She was a member (and the only woman) of the Never Miss a Super Bowl Club. 3She was a minority owner of the Chiefs at the time of her death. 4

Playoffs: The Chiefs entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. 6They defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 27–20, in the AFC Divisional round. In a tightly contested game, the Chiefs held off a late fourth-quarter rally by the Jaguars. 7Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down early in the game with a high right ankle sprain injury which forced him out of the game for a drive, but he was able to return shortly after leaving. 8The AFC Championship pitted the Chiefs against the Cincinnati Bengals in a rematch of the 2021 AFC Championship game. This was the fifth consecutive AFC Championship hosted by the Chiefs, extending their record. 9Much like the previous year's contest, the game was close toward the end of the fourth quarter. On the game's last drive, tied at 20, Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was flagged for a late hit on Patrick Mahomes after he stepped out of bounds, which set the Chiefs up in field goal range with eight seconds remaining. Harrison Butker then kicked a 45-yard field goal to send the Chiefs to the Super Bowl with a 23–20 win. 061]

NFL Top 100

The Chiefs only had three players ranked in the 2022 Top 100 players, their lowest number of selections since 2018. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was once again the highest ranked player for the Chiefs on the countdown despite dropping 7 places in the rankings.

Offseason

All transactions in this section occurred between the end of the 2021 season (excluding futures contracts which began to be signed following the conclusion of the regular season) and the Chiefs first preseason game.

Coaching staff changes

Players lost

Below are players who were on the roster at the end of the 2021 season, but were either released or did not re-sign after their contract expired.

Futures contracts

Players signed to futures contracts typically spent most, if not all, if the 2021 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 added

Players below played for another team in 2021 and signed with the Chiefs.

Trades

Listed below are trades were a player was included in the trade.

Draft

Draft trades

Undrafted free agents

Signed and released in the offseason

Players listed below were signed and released in the offseason before playing for the team.

Preseason transactions

All transactions below occurred in between the Chiefs first preseason game on August 13 and their first regular season game on September 11.

Signings

Cuts

The Chiefs made their first set of roster cut downs on August 16. They made another three cuts on August 23, they also placed two on reserve lists. Their final roster cut, which will be 27 cuts, will occur by August 30. The Chiefs also placed players on reserve lists to meet the roster requirements.

;Down to 85

;Down to 80

;Down to 53

Regular season transactions

Transactions below occurred after the Chiefs first game on September 11 and through their final game, which includes the playoffs.

Standard elevations

Players listed below were elevated using a standard elevation, which allows the Chiefs to add someone to the active roster from the practice squad then move back to the practice squad without needing to clear waivers first. This can only be used a maximum of 3 times per player.

Signings

Suspensions served

Cuts

Trades

Listed below are trades were a player was included in the trade.

IR activations

Players listed below spent a portion of the season on injured reserve and were activated.

Staff

Final roster

Preseason

Schedule

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.

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

Week 2: vs. Washington Commanders

Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers

Regular season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 3: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 4: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 7: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 10: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 14: at Denver Broncos

Week 15: at Houston Texans

Week 16: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 17: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 18: at Las Vegas Raiders

Standings

Division

Conference

Postseason

Schedule

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Jacksonville Jaguars

Chiefs go to the AFC Championship Game and win to the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. And win Super Bowl LVII to the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35.

AFC Championship: vs. (3) Cincinnati Bengals

Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII to the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35.

Super Bowl LVII: vs. (N1) Philadelphia Eagles

Chiefs win and in 2023 finished 11–6 and win Super Bowl LVIII to the San Francisco 49ers in OT 25–22.

References

External links

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{{ESPY Outstanding Team

2022 NFL season by team, Kansas City
Kansas City Chiefs seasons
Kansas City Chiefs
AFC West championship seasons
American Football Conference championship seasons
Super Bowl champion seasons