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‘They want to feel that’ – Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl success comes down to one thing Andy Reid and Clark Hunt have created
Kansas City Chiefs stand on the verge of history – stop me if you have heard this before. Despite the protestations of Green Bay Packers fans – who straddled the Super Bowl era for the second of their three-peats, on Sunday in the Superdome, the Chiefs can do what has eluded everyone. talksport The beauty of Super Bowl week is that there are lots of chances to dig into the stories behind the teams – and for the Chiefs, what is about the organization that has taken them to seven successive AFC Championships, and on the doorstep of dynasty defining imortality. “Coach Reid, Brett Veach (General Manager) and Clark Hunt they make it such a family in Kansas City,” Mike Caliendo told talkSPORT on Opening Night. In many families, people argue, people fight, but people have each other’s back, and maybe just as importantly home is always home. It helps that home in this instance is delivering Super Bowl rings, Championship banners and Vince Lombardi Trophies. “When guys come back they are welcome back to the family, it’s no big deal and we all just love coming to work,” Caliendo adds. “If you love coming to work and have fun, and you work hard while you doing it, that’s a big reason why it has been so successful.” So who sets the tone for this family, out on the field it’s Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – front and center of the celebrity pages but just as importantly the hardest workers on the squad “They are the leaders,” says Matt Nagy who returned to Kansas City as offensive coordinator in 2023 after four years as the Chicago Bears head coach “Guys come in and come back from different organizations and they see how those guys work and they fit right into that. “Those guys practise hard, prepare well and they are great teammates it allows everyone to be themselves.” Andy Reid has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super BowlsGetty Offensive coordinator believes culture setter Patrick Mahomes helps set the tone Nagy has been by coach Reid’s side for his whole journey, starting out on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad under ‘Big Red’, Progressing through the Eagles ranks, following Reid to Kansas City – being given his chance to leave and pursue a head coach role – and ultimately coming back, Nagy is well placed to speak to the culture. Created by the head coach, who trusts his players to enforce the standards. “It is probably one of coach Reid’s greatest strengths – the delegation,” Nagy adds. “He lets the coaches do what they do best and he wants it to be inclusive and everyone to know when they have a part to play “In the end that’s why a lot of people come back, because they want to feel that.” Read More on Super Bowl LIX Follow LIVE build-up to Super Bowl LIX here ‘That hurts bodies’ – Patrick Mahomes outlines major concerns with proposed NFL change ahead of Super Bowl Emotional DeAndre Hopkins desperate to win first Super Bowl for blind mom who’s never seen him play in NFL ‘Never be done again’ – Patrick Mahomes in awe of historic Michael Jordan feat that Chiefs QB doesn’t think he can reach ‘It shocked me’ – Tom Brady’s ‘nervous’ Fox debut stunned the man who caught NFL legend’s historic final touchdown Who is performing the Super Bowl halftime show and who will be singing the National Anthem? How to follow Super Bowl 2025 – TV channel, live streaming and talkSPORT coverage for NFL showpiece FOLLOW – talkSPORT End Zone YouTube Channel brings you all the latest news, views and analysis OFFER – See all Super Bowl odds and bet boosts over at talkSPORT BET BUY HERE – Brewdog launches new beer to celebrate Super Bowl 2025 Juju Smith Schuster came back either side of a spell with the New England Patriots, Mike Pennell came back. Mecole Hardman also came back and scored the winning touchdown in Super Bowl last year. It would not be a surprise if Kareem Hunt was this year’s Hardman, after returning to the team. “We all bought in,” Hunt tells us when asked on what it is that brought him back to Arrowhead. Drafted by the Chiefs in 2017, Hunt was released in November 2018 after a video of an incident published by TMZ showed him appearing to shove and kick a woman in February earlier that year. Hunt then returned early this season when Isiah Pacheco was injured, and he has tallied more than 1,000 yards for the third time in his eight-year NFL career. “We play for one another, we play for the guy next to us and coach Reid puts us in situations to be successful.” Whether it was dressed in ice white jumpsuits, catching biscuits thrown by James Winston or gathered around the media huddle tables, the Chiefs did it all with a smile. “There is a standard here, the guys who come in they understand that standard and they uphold that standard,” Juwan Taylor says before pourin
Kansas City Chiefs stand on the verge of history – stop me if you have heard this before.
Despite the protestations of Green Bay Packers fans – who straddled the Super Bowl era for the second of their three-peats, on Sunday in the Superdome, the Chiefs can do what has eluded everyone.
The beauty of Super Bowl week is that there are lots of chances to dig into the stories behind the teams – and for the Chiefs, what is about the organization that has taken them to seven successive AFC Championships, and on the doorstep of dynasty defining imortality.
“Coach Reid, Brett Veach (General Manager) and Clark Hunt they make it such a family in Kansas City,” Mike Caliendo told talkSPORT on Opening Night.
In many families, people argue, people fight, but people have each other’s back, and maybe just as importantly home is always home.
It helps that home in this instance is delivering Super Bowl rings, Championship banners and Vince Lombardi Trophies.
“When guys come back they are welcome back to the family, it’s no big deal and we all just love coming to work,” Caliendo adds.
“If you love coming to work and have fun, and you work hard while you doing it, that’s a big reason why it has been so successful.”
So who sets the tone for this family, out on the field it’s Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – front and center of the celebrity pages but just as importantly the hardest workers on the squad
“They are the leaders,” says Matt Nagy who returned to Kansas City as offensive coordinator in 2023 after four years as the Chicago Bears head coach
“Guys come in and come back from different organizations and they see how those guys work and they fit right into that.
“Those guys practise hard, prepare well and they are great teammates it allows everyone to be themselves.”
Nagy has been by coach Reid’s side for his whole journey, starting out on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad under ‘Big Red’,
Progressing through the Eagles ranks, following Reid to Kansas City – being given his chance to leave and pursue a head coach role – and ultimately coming back, Nagy is well placed to speak to the culture.
Created by the head coach, who trusts his players to enforce the standards.
“It is probably one of coach Reid’s greatest strengths – the delegation,” Nagy adds.
“He lets the coaches do what they do best and he wants it to be inclusive and everyone to know when they have a part to play
“In the end that’s why a lot of people come back, because they want to feel that.”
Read More on Super Bowl LIX
Follow LIVE build-up to Super Bowl LIX here
‘That hurts bodies’ – Patrick Mahomes outlines major concerns with proposed NFL change ahead of Super Bowl
Emotional DeAndre Hopkins desperate to win first Super Bowl for blind mom who’s never seen him play in NFL
‘Never be done again’ – Patrick Mahomes in awe of historic Michael Jordan feat that Chiefs QB doesn’t think he can reach
‘It shocked me’ – Tom Brady’s ‘nervous’ Fox debut stunned the man who caught NFL legend’s historic final touchdown
Who is performing the Super Bowl halftime show and who will be singing the National Anthem?
How to follow Super Bowl 2025 – TV channel, live streaming and talkSPORT coverage for NFL showpiece
FOLLOW – talkSPORT End Zone YouTube Channel brings you all the latest news, views and analysis
OFFER – See all Super Bowl odds and bet boosts over at talkSPORT BET
BUY HERE – Brewdog launches new beer to celebrate Super Bowl 2025
Juju Smith Schuster came back either side of a spell with the New England Patriots, Mike Pennell came back.
Mecole Hardman also came back and scored the winning touchdown in Super Bowl last year. It would not be a surprise if Kareem Hunt was this year’s Hardman, after returning to the team.
“We all bought in,” Hunt tells us when asked on what it is that brought him back to Arrowhead.
Drafted by the Chiefs in 2017, Hunt was released in November 2018 after a video of an incident published by TMZ showed him appearing to shove and kick a woman in February earlier that year.
Hunt then returned early this season when Isiah Pacheco was injured, and he has tallied more than 1,000 yards for the third time in his eight-year NFL career.
“We play for one another, we play for the guy next to us and coach Reid puts us in situations to be successful.”
Whether it was dressed in ice white jumpsuits, catching biscuits thrown by James Winston or gathered around the media huddle tables, the Chiefs did it all with a smile.
“There is a standard here, the guys who come in they understand that standard and they uphold that standard,” Juwan Taylor says before pouring praise on Kelce the teammate, as many did when they were asked by sport, lifestyle, music, fashion journalists that now follow the Chiefs.
Joe Thuney stands on the brink of winning a fifth Lombardi, two with the Patriots and two with the Chiefs.
He is uniquely placed to pick up what makes a dynasty and he spoke impressively on togetherness, the ability to rally around each in good and bad moments.
That comes with trust, and it comes with a culture created from the top down
Back to Nagy gets the final word and fittingly it sums up the theme of the week – maybe that’s deliberate.
Teams across all sports find something to channel. Whether it’s building a wall to rail against those on the outside looking, or whether it’s just enjoying the occasion.
It helps the Chiefs have been there and done it. It helps their culture setters, to quote owner Clark Hunt ‘are the first people in the building’.
“It’s a family, there is a sign in our building when you walk in the front door.
“It says come in as teammates, and leave as family that’s critical to understanding what we are all about.”
They are also about winning – and they stand on the verge of winning big, again.
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