Raiders Analyst Kirk Morrison on Chiefs’ Chances to Return to the Playoffs

Raiders analyst Kirk Morrison is tired of the Kansas City Chiefs being graded as anything other than a playoff team.

He came on the show to laugh at the schedule-release habit of counting how many last-year playoff teams a given opponent plays.

"I just think it's hilarious when I see the schedule, people who talk about the schedule and say, well, this team is playing against you know x amount of teams that made the playoffs last year," Morrison said. "Do you not consider the Kansas City Chiefs one of those teams that could have been a playoff team had Patrick Mahomes been healthy?"

Kansas City went 6-11 last season. Morrison knows. He thinks the body of recent work earns them the benefit of the doubt anyway.

"For a team that went six and 11, we sure do carry them with the weight of a playoff team, right?" Morrison said. "And the Denver Broncos have to play them twice."

The schedule has Denver in Kansas City Week 1 on Monday Night Football, with the rematch in Week 8. Morrison sees what is set up.

"It's all predicated on Patrick Mahomes' health," Morrison said. "Andy Reid, his team went all defense all defense, but we know as long as you got number 15, you've got an opportunity, and you've got a chance."

He landed firmly on his prediction.

"I consider them a team that, they're probably a playoff team," Morrison said. "I'll be real with you, probably a playoff team this year. Just accept when they play against the Raiders. Now, I don't want to see all that, okay."

The ACL return timeline got the Morrison treatment. He said the recovery clock for the injury has compressed dramatically in his lifetime.

"These injuries, the ACLs, I feel like when you used to have the ACL, you're done for like a year, year and a half," Morrison said. "Now dudes is done and they come back in six months."

He pointed to Micah Parsons as the in-progress proof.

"I'm looking at Micah Parsons over there doing beach workouts," Morrison said. "I'm like, dude, you just tore it like what, five months ago, and he's already back doing workouts."

Morrison's recommended recovery protocol was less clinical.

"Some Tussin and ginger ale," Morrison said. "Those are the two mixes. You put those together, all of a sudden the body just feels so much better."

He acknowledged the AFC West landscape Denver has carved out in the meantime.

"Bo Nix, I mean, you know, I'm giving Bo Nix his credit as well," Morrison said. "There's a guy that should have been starting that AFC Championship Game. But took his team into a division championship last year."

When Rich asked Morrison who he would rather see take the field for the Raiders in Week 1, Justin Fields or a not-fully-recovered Mahomes, Morrison did not hesitate.

"I'm going to go with Fields first, you know what I'm saying?" Morrison said. "Let Patrick heal up, make sure he's doing all that."

The headline storyline for the entire 2026 NFL season, in Morrison's framing, only has two people who actually know the answer.

"Only people who know that is Andy Reid and obviously Patrick Mahomes," Morrison said.