Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Kansas City Chiefs.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Chiefs had another outstanding campaign, going 15-2 with a combination of elite skill and incredible luck.  The squad marched to their third consecutive Super Bowl, but could not win the third straight, as Philadelphia easily dispatched them.  There was a pair of elevations with a new entrant.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a change. 

1. Len Dawson
2. Derrick Thomas
3. Tony Gonzales
4. Patrick Mahomes
5. Bobby Bell

You can find the entire list here.

Mahomes moved up within the top five by one spot to #4.

Of note, Travis Kelce remains at #7.

The phenomenal defensive star, Chris Jones, advanced from #19 to #12.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Kansas City Chiefs.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Kansas City did it all again, winning their second straight Super Bowl and fourth overall.  Despite this, there were no new entrants but two very significant elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a new number five:

1. Len Dawson
2. Derrick Thomas
3. Tony Gonzalez
4. Bobby Bell
5. Patrick Mahomes

You can find the entire list here.

Mahomes moves into the top five and is poised to become the greatest Chief of all time.  If you go by Super Bowls, he is already there, and we understand if you think he should be #1 right now. 

Defensive Tackle Chris Jones, who secured his fifth Pro Bowl and Second First Team All-Pro jumped from #31 to #19.

Notably, Tight End Travis Kelce, who may have earned his ninth Pro Bowl, could not move up this loaded list.  He is still ranked at #7.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Kansas City Chiefs.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:

1. Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Kansas City won their third Super Bowl and advanced in the overall hierarchy of the greatest NFL franchises of all-time. We saw three distinct rank elevations due to the powerful 2023 campaign.

As always, we present our top five, which did not change.

1. Len Dawson

2. Derrick Thomas

3. Tony Gonzalez

4. Bobby Bell

5. Will Shields

You can find the entire list here.

Tight End, Travis Kelce, exploded from #13 to #6.

Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who is now a two-time MVP, also rocketed up the ranking. He went to #8 from #19.

Defensive Tackle, Chris Jones, advanced nine spots to #31.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Selected fourth overall out of Alabama in 1989 after capturing the Butkus Award as the nation’s top collegiate linebacker, Derrick Thomas arrived in Kansas City with a first-step acceleration off the edge that instantly altered NFL passing offenses. His twitchy, lightning-fast snap anticipation transformed him into the premier edge rusher of his generation, making him an immediate cornerstone for Marty Schottenheimer's rebuilding Chiefs defense.

Thomas exploded onto the professional scene in 1989, racking up 10.0 sacks and forcing three fumbles to capture NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors alongside his first of nine consecutive Pro Bowl selections. Opposing offensive tackles simply could not match his elite dip-and-bend movement along the perimeter. He followed up his rookie campaign with an extraordinary 1990 season, leading the entire NFL with a franchise-record 20.0 sacks to earn First-Team All-Pro honors.

The crown jewel of that 1990 campaign unfolded on Veterans Day against the Seattle Seahawks, when Thomas set an NFL single-game record by sacking quarterback Dave Krieg seven times. He perfected a signature "sack-and-strip" technique, actively chopping at the ball rather than just taking down the passer. That technique yielded 45 career forced fumbles and 19 fumble recoveries, consistently converting defensive pressure into instant turnover points for Kansas City.

Throughout the 1990s, Thomas served as the heartbeat of a feared Chiefs defense alongside Neil Smith and Dan Saleaumua. He earned three First-Team All-Pro selections (1990, 1992, 1996) and topped double-digit sacks in seven different seasons, including a 1998 opener where he dropped Raiders quarterback Jeff Gruden's squad six times in a single afternoon. His presence turned Arrowhead Stadium into a nightmare environment for visiting quarterbacks, establishing an electric atmosphere that defined an era.

Off the field, Thomas was equally impactful, cementing his legacy as a true community hero through his extensive philanthropic work. In 1990, he founded the Third and Long Foundation to help inner-city children learn to read, devoting countless hours to youth literacy programs across the metropolitan area. His unselfish community service earned him the prestigious NFL Man of the Year Award in 1993, making him deeply beloved across the region.  By decade’s end, he was an easy pick for the 1990s All-Decade Team.

Tragedy struck the organization and the football world in January 2000. Following a motor vehicle accident on an icy highway while en route to Kansas City International Airport, Thomas suffered chest trauma that left him paralyzed below the chest. Less than a month later, on February 8, 2000, he passed away suddenly at age 33 from a pulmonary embolism, leaving behind a heartbroken fan base and an irreplaceable void in the sport.

His memory remains deeply woven into the fabric of the franchise. The Chiefs inducted Thomas into the Chiefs Hall of Honor in 2001 and officially retired his iconic No. 58 jersey in 2009. That same year, he received ultimate national immortality with his posthumous election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.  Thomas played in 169 regular-season games with 157 starts. He compiled 126.5 official sacks, 45 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, 641 tackles, and four defensive touchdowns in red and gold—departing as the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks.