"Jim Harbaugh is building a bully" - NFL analyst sees Chargers as real threat to Patrick Mahomes' dominance in AFC

The Kansas City Chiefs have been a force to be reckoned with under Patrick Mahomes. With the star quarterback, they've dominated the AFC, appearing in seven consecutive AFC Championship games and three Super Bowl victories.

However, NFL analyst Joe Fortenbaugh believes the Los Angeles Chargers have what it takes to overcome Kansas next season. Fortenbaugh said that Jim Harbaugh is "building a bully" and his team will be a serious threat to Mahomes' AFC dominance.

"There are a lot of indicators pointing to Kansas City taking a step back this season," the analyst said. "I know a lot of people will say, we've heard this before. You haven't heard it with Jim Harbaugh before. You heard it with the previous regime. Harbaugh is building a bully. You've probably heard that as well."

The NFL analyst recapped Harbaugh's success with the San Francisco 49ers.

"But look at what he did in San Francisco," Fortenbaugh said. "He came in, it was a six-win team under Mike Singletary. The next year, they’re in the NFC championship game. The next year they’re in the Super Bowl. Lost both those games, but the guy builds a program.

"The team's on the rise. They're gonna be able to run the football. They're able to be a beast in the trenches. They're gonna be able to go toe to toe with the Chiefs team. They went toe to toe with last year, which leads me back to the Chiefs."

Fortenbaugh added that the Chiefs are heading back after their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last season.

"Plenty of indicators say they're heading back," Fortenbaugh added. "When they lost that game to the Eagles in the Super Bowl last year, how many guys told you afterwards how tired they were? You know, they've been to the Super Bowl how many years in a row? Four of the last five years they've been to the Super Bowl. You can’t keep that up. It takes its toll on your body."

Check out the video below;

Nick Wright called out Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs

Despite missing out on a three-peat last season, the Chiefs are still one of the most dominant teams in the NFL. They participated in five out of the previous six Super Bowl games and won three Lombardi Trophies.

Patrick Mahomes and his squad are working hard this offseason to bounce back from their Super Bowl loss against the Eagles. On the "First Things First" podcast, NFL analyst Nick Wright pointed out an area where the Chiefs need to improve.

"Can we have an excellent running game? I thought Isiah Pacheco could be that last year," Wright said. "Pacheco was a great story as a seventh-rounder, an overachiever, great. Broke his leg, so you can't hold that against him, and then when he came back, he just wasn't quite the same.

"Only the New York Jets have a longer streak of not having a 1,000-yard rusher. Since Patrick Mahomes has been there, the Chiefs' leading rusher has had less than 930 yards every year and less than 600 yards three times. The average is 740. I would just like a running game the other team has to pay attention to."

It'll be interesting to see how far the Chiefs go in the 2025 NFL season.