The Chiefs are riding an almost comical run of success, with a Super Bowl championship secured forever, their star quarterback secured for almost as long and 20 starters coming back to do it again.
But here’s one challenge that isn’t going away soon, and will never be solved perfectly:
Washington’s pending name change, announced Monday, means the Chiefs are the last NFL team whose name evokes Native American imagery, which is offensive to some in that community. Parts of the team’s game-day production are offensive to even more.
Meanwhile, the name and many of those game-day features are treasured by fans and defended by at least some Native Americans, and any major change is sure to upset a portion of the Kansas City fan base.
In other words, the charge is to find middle ground on an issue that has no apparent middle ground, and with Washington’s move it’s logical to expect at least some of that energy to come at the Chiefs.