Chiefs aim for another Super Bowl title after loss to Eagles spoiled their three-peat bid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs (17-3)

Super Bowl or bust. Really, that is the only expectation in Kansas City these days, especially after the Chiefs came up short in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat. And the Chiefs didn't just lose to the Eagles in the Super Bowl in February, they were dominated on both sides of the ball in a 40-22 defeat. The lopsided nature of the loss fueled Patrick Mahomes through one of his best offseasons, inspired Travis Kelce to get in better shape, and led general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid to aggressively plug their biggest problem areas through free agency and the draft. If rookie left tackle Josh Simmons can live up to expectations, and the Chiefs can avoid the injury issues that decimated their wide receiver corps a year ago, Kansas City could have its most electrifying offense since Tyreek Hill was making defenses look foolish years ago.

LT Josh Simmons, WR Tyquan Thornton, RB Elijah Mitchell, WR Jalen Royals, QB Gardner Minshew, CB Kristian Fulton, DT Omarr Norman-Lott, DL Jerry Tillery, DE Ashton Gillotte, CB Nohl Williams.

LG Joe Thuney, SS Justin Reid, QB Carson Wentz, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Mecole Hardman, RB Samaje Perine, WR Justin Watson.

The Chiefs could have their best passing attack in years now that Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice are healthy and Xavier Worthy has a year of experience under him. Patrick Mahomes has made it clear that Kansas City wants to take more deep shots this seasons after defenses have forced him to constantly check down the past few years. For that to work, the Chiefs need a running back group led by Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to pick up consistent yardage on first and second down. And for that to work, the rebuilt offensive line with Josh Simmons at left tackle and Kingsley Suamataia at left guard needs to open holes, which that side of the line struggled to accomplish for most of last season.

The Chiefs have an aggressively blitzing defense, and that has left them susceptible to giving up big yardage on the ground the last few years. They struggled so mightily to stop the run throughout the preseason that they made a trade to bring back defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, who had left in the offseason for the New York Jets. The Chiefs are solid at cornerback, where Trent McDuffie has emerged as one of the best in the game, but there are question marks on the back end. The Chiefs allowed veteran safety Justin Reid to depart in free agency and are hoping Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner can take a step forward.

Much of the attention in camp was on the left side of the offensive line, and Simmons has exceeded all expectations after he was picked No. 32 overall in the draft. Many thought he was the best left tackle available, and the Chiefs were fortunate that he slid that far because he was coming off a torn patellar tendon. They went through several options at left tackle last season and could never settle on a reliable starter, so the fast emergence of Simmons has been a bright spot of fall camp.

Rashee Rice. He has a disciplinary hearing set for Sept. 30 following his car crash on a Dallas highway that led to serious legal trouble, and the expectation is that he will serve a multi-game suspension. But he also plays a role in the Kansas City offense that could produce a lot of catches, making him a potential game-changer in PPR leagues. If you can survive without him for however long he is suspended, Rice could be back in time to make a big difference in the fantasy playoffs.

Win Super Bowl: 15-2.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) catches a pass for a first down as Chicago Bears linebacker Noah Sewell (44) defends during the first half of a preseason NFL football game Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — A New York prison guard who failed to intervene as he watched an inmate being beaten to death should be convicted of manslaughter, a prosecutor told a jury Thursday in the final trial of correctional officers whose pummeling, recorded by body-cameras, provoked outrage.

“For seven minutes — seven gut-churning, nauseating, disgusting minutes — he stood in that room close enough to touch him and he did nothing,” special prosecutor William Fitzpatrick told jurors during closing arguments. The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon.

Former corrections officer Michael Fisher, 55, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Robert Brooks, who was beaten by guards upon his arrival at Marcy Correctional Facility on the night of Dec. 9, 2024, his agony recorded silently on the guards' body cameras.

Fisher’s attorney, Scott Iseman, said his client entered the infirmary after the beating began and could not have known the extent of his injuries.

Fisher was among 10 guards indicted in February. Three more agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges in return for cooperating with prosecutors. Of the 10 officers indicted in February, six pleaded guilty to manslaughter or lesser charges. Four rejected plea deals. One was convicted of murder, and two were acquitted in the first trial last fall.

Fisher, standing alone, is the last of the guards to face a jury.

The trial closes a chapter in a high-profile case led to reforms in New York's prisons. But advocates say the prisons remain plagued by understaffing and other problems, especially since a wildcat strike by guards last year.

Officials took action amid outrage over the images of the guards beating the 43-year-old Black man in the prison's infirmary. Officers could be seen striking Brooks in the chest with a shoe, lifting him by the neck and dropping him.

Video shown to the jury during closing arguments Thursday indicates Fisher stood by the doorway and didn't intervene.

“Did Michael Fisher recklessly cause the death of Robert Brooks? Of course he did. Not by himself. He had plenty of other helpers,” said Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney.

Iseman asked jurors looking at the footage to consider what Fisher could have known at the time “without the benefit of 2020 hindsight.”

“Michael Fisher did not have a rewind button. He did not have the ability to enhance. He did not have the ability to pause. He did not have the ability to get a different perspective of what was happening in the room,” Iseman said.

Even before Brooks' death, critics claimed the prison system was beset by problems that included brutality, overworked staff and inconsistent services. By the time criminal indictments were unsealed in February, the system was reeling from an illegal three-week wildcat strike by corrections officers who were upset over working conditions. Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed National Guard troops to maintain operations. More than 2,000 guards were fired.

Prison deaths during the strike included Messiah Nantwi on March 1 at Mid-State Correctional Facility, which is across the road from the Marcy prison. 10 other guards were indicted in Nantwi's death in April, including two charged with murder.

There are still about 3,000 National Guard members serving the state prison system, according to state officials.

“The absence of staff in critical positions is affecting literally every aspect of prison operations. And I think the experience for incarcerated people is neglect,” Jennifer Scaife, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York, an independent monitoring group, said on the eve of Fisher's trial.

Hochul last month announced a broad reform agreement with lawmakers that includes a requirement that cameras be installed in all facilities and that video recordings related to deaths behind bars be promptly released to state investigators.

The state also lowered the hiring age for correction officers from 21 to 18 years of age.

FILE - This image provided by the New York State Attorney General office shows body camera footage of correction officers beating a handcuffed man, Robert Brooks, at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2024. (New York State Attorney General office via AP, File)