Three-peat or not, this Chiefs team is built to last - ESPN

NEW ORLEANS — Shortly before the 2024 trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs had a chance to solidify their secondary — and their bid at becoming the first NFL franchise to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships.

The New Orleans Saints were dangling veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore in trade talks. The four-time Pro Bowl selection excelled in a position at which the Chiefs had a need.

But the Chiefs weren't the only bidders. The Washington Commanders were in the mix, and as the price for Lattimore climbed, the Chiefs ultimately had to back away.

The Saints eventually sent Lattimore to Washington for a package of picks that included third- and fourth-rounders in the 2025 draft.

Acquiring a player of Lattimore's caliber would have been an immediate roster improvement, but, under general manager Brett Veach's philosophy, trading away early-round draft picks would have been too high of a cost.

Since Veach became the GM in 2017 and Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have been steadfast in not going all-in at the expense of ruining their chances to compete for titles in future seasons.

And the philosophy hasn't changed regardless of their chance at a three-peat.

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«On one hand, there is the historical aspect of going for a three-peat, but we've operated as if we want to be in a similar scenario next year and compete for a championship,'' Veach said. „There's a point where as an organization, it goes from being aggressive to being risky. We've done a good job of amping the aggressiveness to the edge but