Drue Tranquill believes Kansas City stand on the brink of history because their star names love what they do and refuse to let anyone slack off.
With back-to-back Super Bowl wins already in the bag, the Chiefs are 60 minutes away from becoming the first team ever to win three in a row.
But if they go on to complete the three-peat against Philadelphia here on Sunday night, linebacker Tranquill, who joined in 2023 in time to win last year’s Super Bowl, knows the reason for success is down to the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, and the tone they set.
Tranquill said: “We’ve got a legendary quarterback, we’ve got a legendary tight end, we’ve got a legendary defensive lineman, we’ve got legendary coaches. We’ve got guys who have done it and performed in big moments so you certainly draw from that.
“But above all it’s a group of guys that love to play football.
“You can go places in the NFL and guys don’t actually love football, believe it or not. Here it is different. Guys want to practise, guys want to get out there, guys want to compete, they want to do one-on-ones. Guys are constantly looking to get better.
“That culture has been established by our best players and it is upheld as free agents come in and rookies come in.
“Once you establish that identity, you’re able to build something great.”
Tranquill has perhaps the most ironic name in sport, given the nature of American football and the fact he plays the most violent position in the game, and he says the potential consequences make him appreciate every moment.
“You work all year to get to this moment. This is where you want to end up. But we take that mentality each week – you never know because it’s a violent game, a vicious game. You don’t know if it’s week one or the Super Bowl, whether it could be your last game.”
With the Chiefs appearing in their fifth Super Bowl in five years, America has started to tire of Kansas City and supports whoever they play instead but Tranquill said they don’t appreciate that there is no inevitability about them reaching the season finale.
He said: “Because we’ve been to this game a lot in the past few years, it’s taken for granted but it’s really hard to get to this game. You have to beat a lot of good teams and play a lot of good football. It’s special, every moment we’re here.
“Every time you get to take another step forward in the playoffs, you cherish it and we’re certainly doing that here with another opportunity in New Orleans.”
And as for the three-peat?
“We know we have a chance to do something historic but it’s an unspoken thing. Talking about it isn’t going to get it done, it’s going to be the execution that gets it done.”
