Say what you will about Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the rest of the long-dominant Kansas City Chiefs, but they attract attention to the game of football.
The NFL knows that better than anyone, and it showed up in the television numbers for Super Bowl LX.
“The Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl from last year averaged 127.7 million viewers and remains the most-watched program in U.S. television history,” Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest reported via X on Tuesday, February 10.
“The Seahawks‘ 29-13 victory over the Patriots averaged 124.9 million viewers on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital and NFL+, based on official live + same day Nielsen Big Data + Panel, ranking as the second-most watched show in U.S. history (behind Super Bowl LIX on FOX in Feb. 2025),” Derrick added.
The Super Bowl on February 8 in Santa Clara, California was the first in four years not to feature Kansas City as the AFC representative.
Chiefs Face Serious Questions at QB Heading Into Next Season With Patrick Mahomes Injured
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew.
When the Chiefs might return to the league’s biggest game, and theoretically aid in the continued growth of the Super Bowl as the largest spectacle in both American sports and entertainment, is hard to predict.
Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 and is furiously rehabilitating the joint following surgery to repair it in hopes that he can be back by Week 1. Some league analysts, including Ben Solak of ESPN, believe it might be closer to Week 5 when Mahomes can actually get back on the field in a full-time, game-ready capacity.
The timing of Mahomes’ return is paramount for Kansas City, particularly given that backup QB Garnder Minshew is headed to free agency and 28-year-old Chris Oladokun is the best option on the Chiefs’ depth chart at the position when factoring in health and experience.
Oladokun has played in four games in his career, including just two starts, which came in Weeks 17 and 18 after both Mahomes and Minshew went down with season-ending injuries. Oladokun has completed 35-of-55 passes for 235 yards and one TD in his professional career. He owns a record of 0-2.
Travis Kelce’s Retirement Decision Looms as Chiefs’ 2nd-Biggest Question Behind Patrick Mahomes’ Health
GettyTight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
If Kansas City has to figure out a way to win for the first month of the season absent Mahomes, the Chiefs may dig themselves another hole that could prove tough to get out of — just as the team did in 2025, starting 0-2 and posting a mark of 2-3 through five games with both Mahomes and Kelce healthy and playing.
Kelce’s potential retirement also continues to loom over the organization, though he may feel inclined to make a decision inside the next month. Free agency begins on March 11, at which point teams can officially sign free agents and conduct other business such as trades. Some players will agree in principle to new deals 48 hours or so before that.
If Kelce isn’t coming back, the Chiefs are going to have to find a new starting tight end. But it’s actually worse than that because he has long been Mahomes’ favorite target and security blanket, particularly when the pass-catching group faces questions, like it does heading into 2026.
How soon Mahomes can be ready and how well he can play could factor into Kelce’s call on whether to return or retire, leaving the immediate future of the league’s most dynastic team since the Tom Brady-led Patriots up in the air just weeks prior to the start of the new league year.
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