There are still a few things to be decided and hashed out during the final week of the 2023 NFL season. There are division titles that need to be claimed, and teams will be playing Week 18 with seeding and playoff positioning on their minds. But for the Kansas City Chiefs, their fate for the postseason has already been decided, and they might even rest their starters for the final game of the year.

Chiefs Will Be #3 Seed In The AFC

Back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back pic.twitter.com/4GZahxBjtd

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 1, 2024

The season didn’t live up to expectations, at least based on the team’s recent history. The Chiefs have been arguably the best and most dominant team in the NFL for the past half decade, often finding themselves as the #1 seed in the AFC at season’s end thanks to their perennial MVP quarterback. But Patrick Mahomes has struggled to put together the same type of season that he has in year’s past, due in large part to the lack of offensive weapons and 19th ranked rushing attack.

With Kansas City sitting at 10-6 through the first 17 weeks, they are completely out of contention for the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The road to the Super Bowl will instead go through Baltimore. But they’re not eligible for the #2 seed, either, which will go to the winner of the AFC East, which will be decided in Sunday night’s game between the Dolphins and Bills.

KC Could Rest Players Against Chargers

Last one of 2023… HOW ‘BOUT THOSE CHIEEEEFS pic.twitter.com/A6B8CwvcKp

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 1, 2024

In fact, they’re already locked in to the #3 seed, and no results from Week 18 will change that. At 10-6 and thanks to a couple of tiebreakers, they won’t be able to catch the Bills for #2 if they win on Sunday, and the Jaguars (or whoever wins the AFC South) won’t be able to catch them. That leaves Mahomes and company in an interesting position, perhaps being able to rest their starters for Sunday’s matchup with the Chargers.

And it seems like that may very well be the case, given that the early betting line has the 5-11 Chargers as the 1.5 point favorite for the contest. They will host a playoff game during wild card weekend, and will take on whichever team finishes in the 6th spot.