The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Las Vegas Raiders, 14-12, in the season finale on Sunday afternoon.
Here are some quick notes from the loss.
1. Tight end Travis Kelce made some more NFL history.
Kelce recorded numerous milestones on Sunday, becoming the fastest tight end in league history to tally 13,000 receiving yards (doing so in just 192 career games) while also passing Terrell Owens for the eighth-most receptions (1,080) of any player in NFL history.
Additionally, Kelce logged his 10th consecutive season with at least 75 receptions, matching Tim Brown for the longest streak in league history.
It's unclear if Sunday was Kelce's last game as a professional or not, but regardless, his already incredible resume grew a little larger.
2. Cornerback Nohl Williams put together another strong performance.
Williams continued his upward trajectory on Sunday with another impressive game, tallying nine tackles, two pass-breakups and a sack. The rookie cornerback was targeted six times across his 31 coverage snaps, yielding just two catches for 17 yards.
It marked the third time in the last four weeks that Williams played every defensive snap for Kansas City, and once again, he clearly made the most of the opportunity.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton, making his second straight start, also impressed on Sunday with three pass-breakups. Safeties Chamarri Conner (who hauled in an interception) and Jaden Hicks also recorded pass-breakups on the day.
3. Tailback Brashard Smith rushed for a career-most 56 yards.
Smith received an extended look as the Chiefs' featured running back on Sunday, handling a team-most 12 carries (and 14 touches overall). He made the most of those chances, too, by averaging 4.7 yards-per-carry over the course of the game.
That performance included five runs that picked up at least five yards, including a 14-yard rush early in the game, plus four forced missed tackles.
"I thought he did a nice job for us," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "It was good to get him in the backfield running from different spots – offsetting and from under center…He'll get stronger this offseason – that's the biggest thing."
As the Chiefs look ahead to next year, Smith's continued growth will be a major storyline to follow over the course of the offseason.
4. Rookie defensive end Ethan Downs forced a fumble in kick coverage.
Downs, who made his NFL debut on Sunday, ensured that his first-career game was a memorable one when he forced a fumble in kick coverage late in the fourth quarter.
It was a great play by the rookie defensive end, who spent the entirety of the season on the Chiefs' practice squad before earning a promotion to the active roster for Sunday's game.
Several other young players had a chance to see the field on Sunday, too, including offensive guard Hunter Nourzad (64 offensive snaps), wide receiver Jalen Royals (43 offensive snaps), defensive end Ashton Gillotte (46 defensive snaps), linebacker Cooper McDonald (26 defensive snaps), linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (22 defensive snaps) and cornerback Kevin Knowles (14 defensive snaps).
5. The Chiefs will now turn the page to the 2026 NFL Draft, where they possess the No. 9 overall pick.
The 2025 campaign certainly didn't go the way the Chiefs expected it to, but with the season now complete, the next several months represent an enormous opportunity as Kansas City looks to get back to the mountaintop.
Notably, the Chiefs – with the No. 9 overall pick – are set to make their highest selection in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2013. Kansas City's ability to maximize this draft class will be critical to reaching its goals in 2026, and while this season was a disappointment, the preparation for next year is already underway.
