Chiefs' first Super Bowl MVP and NFL Hall of Famer enters hospice care
The Kansas City Chiefs have won two Super Bowls so far. Their win over the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 came 50 years after their initial Super Bowl title.
Patrick Mahomes, their star quarterback, took home MVP in that game, mirroring what happened in 1970, when the Chiefs were led to a 23-7 win by Len Dawson.
Dawson, 87, was recently placed in hospice care, according to his wife, who told the Kansas City television station where the legendary quarterback had worked.
With the news that Chiefs legendary HOF QB Len Dawson is in hospice care….your reminder that there will never be a more bad ass football pic than Len ripping a dart and enjoying a Fresca at halftime of Super Bowl I #legend https://t.co/LjDocCuon4
Dawson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957. He was the fifth overall pick, but failed to make any impact there. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns and eventually ended up with the Dallas Texans.
From there, the team moved and became the Kansas City Chiefs. Dawson led them to their first title with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
It breaks my heart to hear about Len Dawson going into hospice. We spent a lot of time together traveling with and covering the Chiefs. He's one of the nicest guys ever. No pretensions and was never without that smile.
He was always, "Lenny the cool!!" https://t.co/Ji17ZAwzwq
Despite an inauspicious start to his NFL career, Dawson would go on to make the Hall of Fame. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and three-time AFL champion.
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Are the Kansas City Chiefs poised to grab their third Super Bowl title next year?
The Kansas City Chiefs narrowly missed out on their third straight trip to the Super Bowl after being beaten by the Cincinnati Bengals last season. They defeated the 49ers in the Super Bowl in 2020 and lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the year after.
Two Super Bowl appearances, one win, and four AFC championship games in four years is an impressive run nonetheless. However, the lone Super Bowl win has made their fans hungry for more.
Will this be the season they do it again? Maybe. The NFL is a difficult league and there's a good reason there have been very few back-to-back Super Bowl winners. Kansas City learned that in 2021 when they were dismantled by the Buccaneers.
With Patrick Mahomes, it's impossible to count this team out, though this year may be the most difficult yet. The Chiefs are without star wideout Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins this offseason.
They replaced him with JuJu Smith-Schuster, but it's tough to replicate the production of an All-Pro wide receiver. Still, with Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid in town, it's hard to bet against them.
Most sites have Kansas City third in terms of Super Bowl favorites, behind the Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills.