The NFL's ability to consistently top TV ratings in North America 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 time 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 testament to how fiercely competitive the NFL is.
And the hard salary cap is the key.
Now, leaning heavily on the draft has become 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 me out by name?
Now, the Kansas City Chiefs were facing the same dilemma.
Only a handful of people knew that it was Veach who first spotted Mahomes—not Reid, the so-called quarterback whisperer, who plucked him out from the sand.
Outsiders assumed 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 Mahomes was quite average.
First, his technique was raw; his passing accuracy needed a lot of improvement.
Second, his playstyle was reckless. Yes, Mahomes 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 Mahomes had impressive passing yardage in his sophomore and junior years, his draft projections were around the third round.
Until rookie training camp, where Mahomes displayed remarkable athleticism and caught some attention. This got him onto a few teams' radars. Soon after, Mahomes' agent capitalized on the momentum and got him on an NFL Network show.
In that show, Mahomes competed in a passing drill against former 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 reclaimed the second pick.
When the Bears announced their selection, Mahomes' 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 extremely 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 moment came, the Bears chose Trubisky.
Mahomes 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 came into play.
Veach had been following Mahomes for a while. He read the scouting reports and mostly agreed with the evaluations. But there was one key difference: Veach believed that Mahomes' recklessness, impulsiveness, and stubbornness, if guided correctly, could turn into game-changing courage.
After all, in the critical moments of life-or-death games, a little bit of guts is what you need.
Just like how Reid saw calmness in Lance during crucial moments, Veach saw fearless boldness in Mahomes.
However, last year was Veach's first as the team's general manager. He knew that alignment 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 Mahomes.
Suddenly—
Veach boldly recommended Mahomes to Reid.
The rest is history.
From the beginning, Veach already had his plan—
Mahomes was the future of the team. Smith would mentor him for one season, and next season, the team would be handed over to Mahomes.
What if Mahomes didn't grow fast enough?
No problem, Veach had a backup plan.
In the 2018 season, Smith could start the first half, and Mahomes could take over in the second. Smith could keep mentoring him.
In fact, after Mahomes joined the Chiefs, everything went smoothly.
Smith, without any reservation, poured all his knowledge into Mahomes. 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 media adding fuel to the fire:
"Don't forget, Green Bay's Rodgers sat behind Favre for three years. Mahomes 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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Powerstones?
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