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SPORTS Tuesday 4 February 2020
After Super Bowl win, Chiefs already eyeing repeat next year

By DAVE SKRETTA years of coaching. "But
MIAMI (AP) — It took the we've got to backpedal a
Chiefs five full decades to minute and enjoy this one,
bring the Lombardi Trophy and then we'll get busy on
back to Kansas City. the next one."
They don't intend to wait There certainly will be plen-
that long again. ty of time to celebrate. The
With confetti still swirling Chiefs wrapped up some
and their thrilling Super media obligations in Miami
Bowl triumph over the San on Monday, then were to
Francisco 49ers mere min- head back to Kansas City,
utes old, most of the Chiefs where an entire city was
were already talking about prepping for a victory pa-
next season. They got a rade Wednesday.
taste of reaching the AFC Not long after that, though,
title game last season and expect Reid and general
it drove them to make it manager Brett Veach to
back this season, and now get down to business.
that they've had a taste of The Chiefs are likely to
winning the championship, make Mahomes the NFL's
the organization's mindset highest-paid player this off-
is quite simple: Why stop at season, the first opportunity
just one? he will have to sign a con-
"Next year we're coming tract extension. The Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, right, hands the trophy to head coach Andy Reid after
back," Chiefs defensive also must decide what to the chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game Sunday, Feb.
tackle Chris Jones said. do with Jones, one of the 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
"We're coming back for a league's premier defensive Associated Press
repeat." linemen, who is eligible for
There's plenty of reasons to free agency but has ex- lion against the salary cap On defense, they have the AFC, where the Chiefs
believe they can do it. The pressed his desire to remain next year, so the Chiefs are elite pass rusher Frank Clark and Ravens already have
Chiefs will return just about with the team on a long- likely to ask him to take a and safety Tyrann Mathieu begun to replace the New
every key piece that deliv- term deal. pay cut or restructure his — the prize acquisitions England Patriots as the gold
ered the city its first cham- "Why wouldn't I want to be contract or be forced to re- last offseason who came standard.
pionship in 50 years, includ- here?" he asked. "We have lease him. up big in the Super Bowl — "I think as long as we keep
ing Super Bowl MVP Patrick a chance to be a dynasty." "If we keep going the way signed to contracts that will the people that we have
Mahomes, breakout star The Chiefs also had a num- we're going, the sky is the keep them in Kansas City at in this organization on this
Damien Williams and the ber of role players whose limit for this team," said least two more years. team, with the coach that
core of their rebuilt defense, deals are expiring, and Watkins, who contradicted "It will be important to keep we have, I think we have a
along with a coaching staff bringing them back or un- reports he might even sit a couple of those other chance to be good year-in
that's gotten plenty of inter- earthing replacements out next season by insisting guys and obviously contin- and year-out," Mahomes
est for head coaching jobs will be crucial during free he'd return. "Why not? We'll ue to get better, whether said. "It's not going to be
elsewhere. agency. Among them are come back and win next that's through the draft or easy. We're sitting here
So perhaps it was no sur- defensive linemen Terrell year." free agency," Mathieu said. right now, and I know that
prise that most Las Vegas Suggs, Emmanuel Ogbah But even with all those "The most important thing is going back, we're going to
sports books already have and Xavier Williams, wide holes to fill, the Chiefs are our core is intact. We've got have next year to play a
installed the Chiefs as 6-to- receiver Demarcus Rob- still in enviable shape. They a hell of a football team, so lot of great football teams.
1 favorites to win the Super inson, and cornerbacks have arguably the league's we are looking forward to There's a lot of great teams
Bowl next season. The Bal- Bashaud Breeland and best quarterback and one next season already." in this league, so you under-
timore Ravens and NFC Kendall Fuller. of its most electrifying pass- There have been seven stand that. But at the same
champion Niners were Another question fac- catchers in Tyreek Hill. They franchises that have won time, just try to get better
close behind. ing the Chiefs: What will have one of its premier back-to-back Super Bowls, every year."
"I'm really excited about they do with Sammy Wat- tight ends in Travis Kelce including the Pittsburgh Not just to reach the pin-
it. You get one, you want kins, who proved his worth and a running back in Da- Steelers, who did the trick nacle of the game. At long
to get another," said Andy with a massive playoff run mien Williams, who gashed twice in the 1970s. That last, the Chiefs finally have
Reid, who finally got to capped by five catches for the 49ers for 104 yards rush- now becomes the goal for accomplished that.
bask in his first Super Bowl 98 yards in the Super Bowl. ing with TDs on the ground a team that sees a window The task facing them now is
championship after 21 He is due to count $21 mil- and through the air. of dominance opening in staying there.q
Tight end Vernon Davis retires after 14 NFL seasons

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ver- year on his body. Davis said "I will hold football in my ing his final pro seasons that regular-season games and
non Davis announced his he's walking away from heart forever, and I am he trained year-round like had seven touchdowns in
retirement after 14 NFL sea- football while his body is still grateful for the opportuni- some players do during the 11 playoff games.
sons with the San Francisco healthy enough to pursue ties I've had while playing season and credited that San Francisco selected Da-
49ers, Denver Broncos and other opportunities. this great game." for staying on the field. vis sixth overall in the 2006
Washington Redskins that "I look forward to the next A 6-foot-3, 248-pound tight Davis was limited to four draft out of Maryland. He
included winning a Super favorite phase of my pro- end, Davis stayed in the games during the 2019 sea- spent more than nine sea-
Bowl title. fessional career, which NFL and remained produc- son because of a concus- sons with the 49ers before a
The 36-year-old said Mon- will include opportunities tive so long in part because sion. Before that, he caught midseason trade in 2015 to
day he decided to retire in business and television," of his meticulous physical 583 passes for 7,562 yards the Broncos, with whom he
because of the wear and Davis said in a statement. conditioning. He said dur- and 63 touchdowns in 198 won the Super Bowl.q