The NFL's ability to consistently top TV ratings in North Arica isn't just because of its massive fan base—it's the suspense.
Thanks to the hard salary cap, it's nearly impossible for teams to hoard top-tier players to form super squads. The gap between strong and weak teams shrinks, and combined with tactical masterminding, suspense skyrockets. Every year, the playoff spots and Super Bowl contenders are full of endless possibilities.
This is why even casual fans and onlookers are drawn to the sport.
In the half-century history of the Super Bowl, only seven teams—the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots—have managed to defend their title.
Of those, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team to have done it twice, during different eras. The last ti a team successfully defended their title was the New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Since then, for thirteen long years, no team has managed to repeat as champions.
As for a three-peat?
Not a single one.
That fact alone is a testant to how fiercely competitive the NFL is.
And the hard salary cap is the key.
Now, leaning heavily on the draft has beco the league's overall trend.
Teams maximize the value of rookie contracts, which are cheap for the first four years, allowing more flexibility under the salary cap. This gives teams room to sign veterans in free agency and build a solid roster capable of contending for the Super Bowl.
Among all positions, the quarterback is the crown jewel.
That's why you often see teams using high draft picks on quarterbacks every two or three years, even tearing down their plans and starting fresh—like a child rebuilding a sandcastle.
New York Jets: Why don't you just call out by na?
Now, the Kansas City Chiefs were facing the sa dilemma.
Only a handful of people knew that it was Veach who first spotted Mahos—not Reid, the so-called quarterback whisperer, who plucked him out from the sand.
Outsiders assud it was because of Texas Tech's lackluster performance in college, but that wasn't the main reason.
Sure, a quarterback who can't lead his team to a championship would have his draft stock affected, but the scouts' evaluation of Mahos was quite average.
First, his technique was raw; his passing accuracy needed a lot of improvent.
Second, his playstyle was reckless. Yes, Mahos had a rocket arm capable of deep throws, but his insistence on long passes—whether there was an opportunity or not—was seen as impulsive and risky. That kind of gambling mindset wasn't what scouts wanted to see in an elite quarterback.
Because of that, even though Mahos had impressive passing yardage in his sophomore and junior years, his draft projections were around the third round.
Until rookie training camp, where Mahos displayed remarkable athleticism and caught so attention. This got him onto a few teams' radars. Soon after, Mahos' agent capitalized on the montum and got him on an NFL Network show.
In that show, Mahos competed in a passing drill against forr number-one pick David Carr, firing off a 62-mph (99.8 km/h) bullet pass. That throw catapulted him into the spotlight.
That's when his draft stock started climbing, and he was projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick—typically the third or fourth quarterback to be chosen.
In fact, there was a little twist here.
During last year's draft, the Chicago Bears, who held the third overall pick, were widely expected to be the first to select a quarterback. So when the Kansas City Chiefs traded with the San Francisco 49ers to get the second pick, the Bears panicked. In a flurry of moves, they reclaid the second pick.
When the Bears announced their selection, Mahos' heart leapt—
He never told anyone, not until much later when he confided in Lance during rookie training camp. He said the interview with the Bears went extrely well. They had a great conversation, and the Bears expressed strong interest. They even kept in touch through multiple phone calls, assuring him he would be their pick.
But when the mont ca, the Bears chose Trubisky.
Mahos had no idea what happened.
And unexpectedly, the Kansas City Chiefs, who had never contacted him, selected him with the 10th overall pick.
This is where Veach ca into play.
Veach had been following Mahos for a while. He read the scouting reports and mostly agreed with the evaluations. But there was one key difference: Veach believed that Mahos' recklessness, impulsiveness, and stubbornness, if guided correctly, could turn into ga-changing courage.
After all, in the critical monts of life-or-death gas, a little bit of guts is what you need.
Just like how Reid saw calmness in Lance during crucial monts, Veach saw fearless boldness in Mahos.
However, last year was Veach's first as the team's general manager. He knew that alignnt between the GM and head coach was critical.
And he wanted to avoid making a move so bold that it would shock fans and ownership.
So, when they traded with the 49ers for the second overall pick, Veach's first thought was to play it safe, especially considering the market and public opinion—
Trubisky or Watson?
However, after taking the gamble and picking Lance with the third overall pick, the Chiefs had already kicked the hornet's nest. If you're going to gamble, you might as well go all the way. Veach's ambition began to stir.
He imagined the combination of Lance and Mahos.
Suddenly—
Veach boldly recomnded Mahos to Reid.
The rest is history.
From the beginning, Veach already had his plan—
Mahos was the future of the team. Smith would ntor him for one season, and next season, the team would be handed over to Mahos.
What if Mahos didn't grow fast enough?
No problem, Veach had a backup plan.
In the 2018 season, Smith could start the first half, and Mahos could take over in the second. Smith could keep ntoring him.
In fact, after Mahos joined the Chiefs, everything went smoothly.
Smith, without any reservation, poured all his knowledge into Mahos. If everything continued like this, the Chiefs would have a seamless transition at quarterback.
Perfect!
But then the unexpected happened.
Smith played the best season of his career, and the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
On the other side, the Philadelphia Eagles faced a dilemma: should they stick with Foles or go back to Wentz? Here, the Chiefs also found themselves at a crossroads.
Especially with the dia adding fuel to the fire:
"Don't forget, Green Bay's Rodgers sat behind Favre for three years. Mahos staying behind Smith for another year isn't a problem."
"The Kansas City Chiefs should keep Smith."
Veach: My heart is breaking, but I can't say it. My whole plan is ruined.
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