Analyst cautions cities from getting used by Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs as Kansas legislators engage in budding sweepstakes

Despite Patrick Mahomes potentially winning his last Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs, the team’s future has become uncertain after a disappointing loss in the ballot. According to reports, their efforts to persuade voters to approve a tax for their children’s needs were unsuccessful.

The team had set its sights on securing approximately $500,000,000 in funding. Additionally, they had explicitly stated that they would not continue to reside at Arrowhead Stadium if the measure did not pass. Now that the vote has failed, their future remains uncertain. Reports suggest that multiple parties are vying to submit a successful bid for the team. Mike Florio had warned of the potential consequences of this attempt during Thursday’s episode of “Pro Football Talk.”

According to a report by the Kansas City Star, Florio stated that Kansas lawmakers are attempting to entice the Chiefs to move from Missouri. Florio advised these politicians to not be manipulated into using the situation as a bargaining tool.

[00:01:28] “One of the big concerns. .. if I’m going to pull the political levers to get myself in a position where I can put an offer on the table that attracts you. I don’t want it to be the leverage that causes you to get a better deal locally,”said Florio.

“You do the negotiating for someone else and they just come in and match it. So somebody else shows up like Vegas did with the Raiders and says, ‘here’s your free money’ and it spurs action to get the Chiefs to stay put.”[00:02:12][44.5]

Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs Follow in the Footsteps of the Raiders and Rams?

Despite what NFL viewers may assume, the current locations of teams are not necessarily where they have always been. This has been demonstrated in the past decade, as the St. Louis Rams relocated to Los Angeles in 2016 and the San Diego Chargers became the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

The Oakland Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020, keeping within the same western region. Meanwhile, a similarly significant change took place on the eastern coast.

In 2020, the Washington Redskins changed their name to the Washington Football Team and later, in 2022, changed it again to the Washington Commanders.

Despite most things remaining consistent year after year, change is a constant in the league of 32 teams. With one significant change per offseason for a team, the cumulative effect can be significant. Since 2016, there have been four major changes in team names and locations. The Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, are the most recent team to potentially undergo such a transformation.

Will Patrick Mahomes sign a new contract with the Kansas City Chiefs while they are still known by their current name?