Analyst cautions cities from getting used by Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs as Kansas legislators engage in budding sweepstakes
Patrick Mahomes might have won his last Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs. The team's future is suddenly up in the air following a painful loss on the ballot. Per reports, the team's attempt to entice voters to sign up for a tax their kids would need to pay was rejected.
The team had hoped to get roughly $500,000,000 in funding. Further, they had given the impression that they would not stay at Arrowhead Stadium if the measure failed to pass. With the vote now failed, their future is unknown. Many appear to be lining up to put forth a winning bid for the team. Mike Florio had cautioned of the attempt risks backfiring on Thursday's edition of "Pro Football Talk."
Citing a report by the Kansas City Star, Florio claimed that Kansas legislators are looking to lure the Chiefs from Missouri. Florio cautioned those politicians from being used as leverage:
[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]
Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs toy with following in Raiders, Rams footsteps
NFL viewers might believe that teams have always been where they are today. However, that has not proven to be the case over the past decade. The St. Louis Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016. The San Diego Chargers became the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.
The Oakland Raiders became the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 in the same western half of the country. Another change seemingly just as big happened on the eastern seaboard.
The Washington Redskins became the Washington Football Team in 2020 and then became the Washington Commanders in 2022.
So change is a constant in a league of 32 teams. While most things stay the same year-to-year, one big change per offseason for a team adds up quickly. There have been four major reworks to team names and locations since 2016. Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs are only the latest potential example.
Will Patrick Mahomes wrap his current contract with the Kansas City Chiefs under their current name?
Please credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda if any of the above quotes are used.