How Chiefs, Patriots Ended Their Seasons in Similar Fits

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Memo to Clark Hunt, Andy Reid and director of equipment Allen Wright. Keep the white pants in Kansas City.

Despite popular demand from the locker room, the combination of white jerseys and white pants have run out of wins. They’re a virtual loss waiting to happen.

drake may — Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is pressured by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) in the second half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Super Bowl strikeout

Just ask the Patriots, who wore the look in Sunday’s Super Bowl and played as quietly as a mouse in Boston’s Old North Church. Their 29-13 Super Bowl setback was the latest example of a league-wide trend in which teams wearing that combination lost in brutal fashion.

And to make matters worse, the Patriots chose to wear all-white. The AFC had the uniform choice for this year’s game. Narrowly escaping Denver with a 10-7 win in a snowy AFC championship game, apparently New England thought it would somehow duplicate the result against Seattle’s No. 1-ranked defense.

The Patriots should’ve known. The week before in a divisional-round victory over Houston, New England picked off C.J. Stroud four times in his all-white uniform.

So, should the Chiefs earn a berth in Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium – and there’s plenty of red and gold in the official logo unveiled Monday morning by the NFL -- they should wear red pants with their white jerseys.

And in July, when the NFL asks each team to declare regular-season uniform combinations, Kansas City should promise to only take red pants on the road. Avoid the white on white at all costs.

bryan coo — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) hauls in a reception against Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Jacksonville

The Chiefs were the poster children for all-white misfortune in 2025. They wore the combination on just two occasions, but each game was a cruel 31-28 loss in front of a national-television audience. Each loss altered Kansas City’s season.

On Oct. 6 in Jacksonville, the Chiefs’ stout defense allowed Trevor Lawrence to rumble for 54 yards and two touchdowns, including his Stumble Six on the goal line. Apparently, Chris Jones got hypnotized by the all-white threads in thinking Lawrence was down by contact.

Kansas City outgained the Jaguars 476-319 but committed 13 penalties and couldn’t secure three takeaways. Devin Lloyd picked off Mahomes and returned the interception 99 yards for a back-breaking touchdown. The Chiefs’ all-white combination made them fall a game under .500 at 2-3.

picken — Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) celebrates after catching a pass for a successful two-point conversion against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In Dallas

On Thanksgiving, with a regular-season single-game record 57.23 million viewers, the Chiefs again went all-white and, again, lost in heartbreaking fashion, 31-28 at Dallas. Steve Spagnuolo’s unit, solid for the most part all season, inexplicably allowed 457 yards of offense. CeeDee Lamb (seven catches, 112 yards, touchdown) and George Pickens (six catches, 88 yards) looked like Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson.

The loss began Kansas City’s season-ending six-game losing streak, and also cost the Chiefs each of their starting offensive tackles. Neither Josh Simmons nor Jawaan Taylor played another snap.

After the Chiefs lost Super Bowl I in all-white uniforms, Hank Stram reportedly outlawed the look – and rightly so. But Marty Schottenheimer brought it back in 1989, and players have loved it. But after seeing what it did to the Chiefs and Patriots in 2025, teams might not be so quick to hang those white pants in road locker rooms next season.

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