Five-timers club: This group has been here for Chiefs’ full run of AFC-title home games

A handful of Chiefs will extend their NFL record when they take the field for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.

Last year, the Chiefs became the first team in league history to play four consecutive AFC title games at home. When the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round last week, a fifth straight AFC title game was assured for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

“It’s cool to be a part of it,” Chiefs tackle Andrew Wylie said.

Wylie is one of nine Chiefs who’ve been on the roster for all five games, starting with an encounter with the New England Patriots after the 2018 season. That was the Chiefs’ first AFC title game since playing at Buffalo in the 1993 season.

The Chiefs then took the next step in the next two years, defeating the Tennessee Titans and Bills for Super Bowl berths. Sunday’s game against the Bengals is a rematch of last year’s conference championship game.

The five-time club includes Wylie, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Chad Henne, Harrison Butker, Marcus Kemp and James Winchester.

Not everyone in this group played in all five, but each of those players was on the roster for all five. Wylie was inactive during the 2019 playoff run. Marcus Kemp spent one year on injured reserve and is on the practice squad. Henne spent one season on injured reserve.

Kelce and Winchester are the Chiefs’ most experienced postseason players Their appearance in last week’s Divisional Round victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars was the 16th of their careers. That tops the franchise history list.

“It’s definitely special,” said Winchester, a long-snapper who joined the Chiefs in 2015. “It’s become the norm around here and it’s very much earned. There’s a lot to go into it. It’s hard to win in the NFL, to put these 10-, 12-, 14-win seasons together.

“I’m very fortunate to be part of it, play a role in it and be along for the ride.”

That ride includes winning at least one game in the playoffs. The Chiefs 9-4 playoff record since 2018 is the NFL’s best in that span.

When the Chiefs became the first team to play four straight conference championship games they surpassed the Philadelphia Eagles, who played host to three straight NFC-title games starting in 2002.

Their coach for those games? None other than current Chiefs coach Andy Reid.