Randy Covitz was a sports reporter with The Star from 1981 to 2015 and primarily covered the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL until his retirement. He also served on the Board of Selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Here, he selects a 60-man All-Time Chiefs Team. (We chose 60 because this is the 60th year of the franchise.)

Note that in the lists that follow, we use asterisks in two ways: two asterisks next to a person’s name (**) indicates that person is a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. A single asterisk (*) denotes members of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.

Finally, along with a Top 60 for all-time players, we’ve ranked all of the Chiefs’ head coaches, as well as general managers.

Dig in, debate and enjoy.

Top 60: Best Chiefs Players, Ranked

1. **Bobby Bell, OLB, 1963-73 … The first Chief to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was a sideline-to-sideline defender. He scored nine career TDs on six interception returns, three fumble returns and even one 53-yard kickoff return. Bell also served as long-snapper.

2. **Buck Buchanan, DT, 1963-75 … The towering tackle was such a terrifying force on the Chiefs’ defensive line, the Oakland Raiders’ Al Davis drafted future Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw with the express intent to block Buchanan. A two-time team MVP, he batted down 16 passes in 1967.

3. **Willie Lanier, MLB, 1967-77 … Lanier’s nickname “Honey Bear” belied his ferocious tackling and all-around play as the sport’s first African-American middle linebacker. He intercepted 27 career passes and recovered 18 fumbles.

4. **Len Dawson, QB, 1962-75 … Lenny the Cool was not only the MVP of Super Bowl IV but led the Chiefs’ forerunners, the Dallas Texans, to the 1962 AFL title. He led the league in passing percentage eight times, including an NFL-record six straight years during ’64-69, an NFL record.

5. **Derrick Thomas, OLB, 1989-99 … Thomas was one of the game’s most feared pass rushers whose specialty was the blindside strip sack. His 126.5 career sacks were the fourth-most by a linebacker in NFL history at the time of his premature death in 2000, and he still holds the NFL record with seven sacks in a game and Chiefs records of 45 forced fumbles, 19 recoveries and three safeties.

6. **Tony Gonzalez, TE, 1997-2008 … Gonzalez was a transcendent tight end who redefined the position with his ability to outrun linebackers and outjump defensive backs. He led the NFL with 102 receptions in 2004 and his 916 career receptions and 76 TD catches are club records.

7. **Will Shields, G, 1993-2006 … From the moment he entered the season opener as a rookie, Shields never missed a game or a start for the next 14 seasons: a string of 232 straight games, including playoffs — a club record. A dazzling athlete as a run blocker and pass protector, Shields was selected to a club-record 12 Pro Bowls.

8. **Johnny Robinson, S, 1960-71 … Robinson, the quarterback of the three-time league champions’ defense, switched from receiver to defense in 1962 and became two-time league interception leader and finished with 57 picks, still second in club history.

9. **Emmitt Thomas, CB, 1966-78 … Undrafted out of tiny Bishop (Texas) College, Thomas was a ball-hawking corner who clamped down on the best receivers in the pass-happy AFL and whose 58 career INTs, including five in the postseason, remain Chiefs records.

10. Patrick Mahomes, QB, 2017-current … Mahomes has accomplished the unthinkable in his two seasons as a starter, throwing for 5,000-plus yards and 50 TDS in becoming the first Chiefs player to win the NFL MVP award in 2018 and leading the club to its first Super Bowl in 50 years with a magnificent postseason performance that included five TD passes against Houston and a 27-yard TD run for the ages in the AFC Championship Game against Tennessee.

11. *Jim Tyrer, OT, 1961-73 … Tyrer was one of the elite tackles of his era. He was selected to the All-Time AFL Team, was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1969 and performed in both Super Bowl I and Super Bowl IV in addition to playing in 180 straight games, the fourth-longest streak in club history.

12. *Ed Budde, G, 1963-76 … Budde was a model of consistency for 14 years, tied for the second-most seasons in club history. Budde, an eight-time AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl pick, was a member of the All-Time AFL Team and started both Super Bowl games for the Chiefs in addition to appearing in 177 regular-season games.

13. **Curley Culp, DT, 1968-74 … The NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion anchored the middle of the Triple Stack defense that dominated the line of scrimmage against heavily favored Minnesota in Super Bowl IV. Culp, a disruptive force, became one of the first true nose tackles in the NFL.

14. *Otis Taylor, WR, 1965-75 ... Taylor was the prototype receiver of the future, big, strong and fast and nearly impossible to cover one-on-one. His dazzling 46-yard catch and run for a TD that broke open Super Bowl IV is the stuff of legend, and his 7,306 yards, 57 TDs, and 19 100-yard games rank second in club history. His 410 catches rank fourth.

15. *Jerry Mays, DL, 1961-70 … Mays was a force on the defensive line and named to the All-Time All AFL Team. A seven time All-Star/Pro Bowl pick, he played in 140 games for the Texans/Chiefs and started in all three championship games, including both Super Bowls.

16. Jamaal Charles, RB, 2008-16 … Drafted in the third round as a change-of-pace back, Charles, also a track star at Texas, emerged as the Chiefs’ all-time leading rusher with 7,260 yards, displaying toughness as a runner and brilliance as a receiver. He finished his career with a 5.45-yard average per carry, the best in NFL history.

17. **Jan Stenerud, K, 1967-79 … Stenerud, the first pure kicker inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, helped revolutionize the art of placekicking with a soccer-style technique imported from his native Norway. Stenerud’s 279 field goals and 1,231 points rank second in club history, and his three field goals staked the Chiefs to a 9-0 lead en route to winning Super Bowl IV.

18. *Priest Holmes, RB, 2001-07 … Signed as an unrestricted free agent to provide running back depth, Holmes exploded for three of the most dynamic seasons in NFL history when he led the NFL in rushing with 1,555 yards, topped that in 2001 with 1,615 in 2002, and set an NFL record with 27 rushing TDs with 1,420 yards in 2003.

19. *Neil Smith, DE, 1988-96 … One of the bedrocks of the Chiefs’ defenses of the 1990s, Smith paired with his buddy and “partner in crime” Derrick Thomas to form one of the feared pass-rush duos in NFL history. Smith finished his Chiefs career with 86.5 sacks and 29 forced fumbles, second only to Thomas at the time

20. *E.J Holub, C-LB, 1961-70 … The last of the NFL’s true two-way players, Holub started the 1962 and 1966 AFL Championship Games and Super Bowl I at linebacker, where he had nine career interceptions, and started Super Bowl IV at center.

21. Travis Kelce, TE, 2013-current … With an innate ability to find openings in a defense and make yards after the catch, Kelce is rewriting the Chiefs’ record book. He set a club record with 103 receptions in 2019 and has been at his best in the postseason, already catching five TD passes, gaining 559 yards and catching 10 passes, including three TDs in the AFC title game this year — all club playoff records.

22. *Albert Lewis, CB, 1983-93 … A feared cover corner, Lewis, a four-time Pro Bowler, used his long arms and quickness to intercept 38 passes, which still ranks fifth in club history. Just as impressive was his ability to block 10 punts. Lewis was voted team MVP in 1986, a season that included 69 tackles, four INTs, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a blocked punt

23. *Deron Cherry, S, 1981-91 … Cherry, released as a free-agent punter, returned as a defensive back and emerged as six-time Pro Bowler and AFC interception leader with nine in 1986. Cherry’s 50 INTs still rank third in club history, and who can forget the hit and forced fumble in Bo Jackson’s first appearance as a Raider in Arrowhead?

24. *John Alt, OT, 1984-96 … Alt, a mountain of a man, was a dominant force during the Chiefs’ resurgence in the ‘90s. His 179 appearances (149 starts) are the third-most by a Chiefs offensive lineman.

25. *Jim Lynch, OLB, 1967-77 … Lynch, the unsung member of the Chiefs’ famed linebacker group with Bell and Lanier, started 148 straight games and recorded 17 INTs. Lynch also pounced on 14 fumbles, tied for fifth in club history.

26. *Brian Waters, G, 2000-10 ... Waters, plucked from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad and seasoned in NFL Europe, blossomed into a devastating run blocker and solid pass protector, earning six Pro Bowl selections. Waters became the first offensive lineman to be recognized as an AFC Offensive Player of the Week following a 56-10 win over Atlanta in 2004, when the Chiefs rushed for an NFL-record eight touchdowns

27. Derrick Johnson, LB, 2005-17 … Johnson finished his career as the franchise’s all-time leader with 1,262 tackles (the stat was first compiled in 1977). A four-time Pro Bowler, Johnson was voted team MVP in 2011 and had 14 career INTs, returning four for touchdowns, including two in one game at Denver in 2009.

28. *Fred Arbanas, TE, 1961-70 … Arbanas was voted to the All-Time AFL Team after catching 198 passes for 3,101 yards and 14 TDs in 118 career games. A five-time AFL All-Star, Arbanas started in Super Bowl IV and threw a key block on Mike Garrett’s 65 Toss Power Trap touchdown run.

29. *Jerrel Wilson, P, 1963-77 … Known as “Thunderfoot,” Wilson dictated field position with his booming punts and earned a spot on the All-Time AFL Team with his 43.2-yard average, second-best in club history. He led the league in punting four times and also owns the Super Bowl record with a 46.5-yard average in Super Bowl IV.

30. *Dave Hill, OT, 1963-74 … Hill manned the right side of the offensive line for 12 seasons, starting 150 games for the 1966 and 1969 AFL champions and both Super Bowl I and IV.

31. *Art Still, DE, 1978-87 … The second overall pick of the 1978 draft, the colorful Still was a force against the run as well as an unstoppable pass rusher. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he ranks fifth on the Chiefs’ sack list 73 sacks in 136 games and was voted the team’s MVP in 1980 and 1984, when he had 14.5 sacks each year.

32. Eric Berry, S, 2010-18 … Berry was the club’s inspirational leader for his athletic ability on the field and courage in overcoming knee injuries as well as cancer detected at the end of the 2014 season. Berry was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time club MVP.

33. Jim Kearney, S, 1967-75 … Kearney broke into the starting lineup in his second season and tied for the team lead with seven tackles and a pass defensed in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl IV victory. His four INT returns for touchdowns in 1972 is an NFL record.

34. Tamba Hali, DE, 2006-17 … Hali’s energetic play in 177 games resulted in 89.5 sacks, ranking second in club history, and five straight Pro Bowl appearances during 2011-15. Hali led the AFC and finished second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks in 2010.

35. Justin Houston, OLB, 2011-18 … Houston’s relentlessness established Kansas City as Sack City as he teamed with Hali and rolled up 78.5 sacks, third in club history. Houston, a four-time Pro Bowler, was voted the club’s MVP in 2014 after rolling up a franchise-record 22 sacks, a half-sack shy of the NFL record.

36. *Kevin Ross, CB, 1984-93, ’97 … The Rock personified toughness on the field: He went from a seventh-round draft pick to a two-time Pro Bowler. Ross made 30 interceptions, forced 12 fumbles and recovered 12 fumbles while also starring on special teams.

37. Larry Johnson, RB, 2003-09 … Johnson, a first-round pick, was a powerful workhorse when he led the NFL with 416 carries for a club-record 1,789 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2006, a year after he rushed for 1,750 yards and 20 scores.

38. Dante Hall, WR/KR, 2000-06 …The Human Joystick electrified Arrowhead Stadium with his scintillating kick returns. He returned a club-record six kickoffs and five punts for touchdowns.

39. *Lloyd Burruss, S, 1981-91 … Burruss was the first player to win the Mack Lee Hill Rookie of the Year and team MVP (1985) awards and a bust in the Chiefs Hall of Fame.

40. *Gary Spani, LB, 1978-86 … Spani held the Chiefs’ record for most tackles — 999 — for nearly 30 years until it was broken by Derrick Johnson. The former K-Stater still works in the Chiefs’ front office.

41. *Christian Okoye, RB, 1987-92 … The Nigerian Nightmare led the NFL in rushing with 1,480 yards in 1989 as Martyball took hold in Kansas City.

42. *Ed Podolak, RB, 1969-77 … Podolak retired as the club’s all-time leading rusher with 4,451 yards but is best known for his performance in the double-overtime loss to Miami on Christmas Day 1971, when he posted an NFL-postseason record 350 total yards (85 yards rushing 110 receiving and 155 on returns), a mark that still stands.

43. *Jack Rudnay, C, 1971-82 … A back injury cost Rudnay a chance at playing in Super Bowl IV, but he missed little else, making 171 starts — third-most in Chiefs history — and four straight Pro Bowls from 1973-76.

44. Dustin Colquitt, P, 2005-current … The left-footed punter with a knack for pinning teams deep in their own end of the field has appeared in 238 games, most in Chiefs history, and his 44.8-yard average is a club record.

45. *Curtis McClinton, RB, 1962-69 … The former Kansas star was the first AFL player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl, catching a 7-yard pass against Green Bay in Super Bowl I, and he appeared as backup tight end in Super Bowl IV..

46. *Nick Lowery, K, 1980-93 … The all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 1,446 points, including a record 329 field goals. A three-time Pro Bowler, Lowery made a team-record 20 field goals from 50 yards or longer.

47. *Carlos Carson, WR, 1980-89 … They called him “Speedy” for good reason. The 1987 team MVP averaged a club-record 18.2 yards per catch for his career. His 6,360 yards receiving rank fifth in team history and his 1,351 yards in 1983 rank second.

48. *Mike Garrett, RB, 1966-70 … The former Heisman Trophy winner is best known for scoring the 5-yard TD run on “65 Toss Power Trap” in Super Bowl IV. He led the Chiefs in rushing three times.

49. Tim Grunhard, C, 1990-2000 … After a short apprenticeship under Mike Webster, Grunny would start 164 games in the next decade, fifth-most in club history.

50. *Abner Haynes, RB, 1960-64 … The first AFL Player of the Year in 1960, Haynes was the franchise’s first superstar and 1,000-yard rusher in 1962 and set the franchise record of five TDs in a game in 1961.

51. Alex Smith, QB, 2013-17 … Smith was the key to ushering in the Andy Reid era by leading the Chiefs to four playoff berths in five years and winning two team MVP awards. And his mentoring of Mahomes can’t be overstated.

52. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, 2016-current … Schwartz, a 2018 All-Pro selection, has been a fixture at right tackle since joining the Chiefs as a free agent, continuing his streak of 128 consecutive starts (though he missed the first six snaps of his career at mid-season in 2019).

53. Tyreek Hill, WR, 2016-current … The most dynamic receiver in football has produced 19 plays of 50-plus yards since joining the Chiefs, with all but two resulting in touchdowns. He’s had 11 receptions, two rushes, five punt returns and one kickoff return all covering 50 yards or more.

54. *Gary Barbaro, S, 1976-82 … Barbaro personified a ballhawk in the secondary, intercepting 39 passes — including a club-record 102-yard TD in 1977. A three-time Pro Bowler, he jumped to the USFL in 1983.

55. Dwayne Bowe, WR, 2007-14 … Bowe was the master of spectacular catches and finished his career ranked second in team history with 532 receptions, third with 7,155 yards and fifth with 44 TDs. His 150 yards receiving at Indianapolis in the 2013 playoffs is a club single-game postseason mark.

56. *Gary Green, CB, 1977-84 … Green had a nose for the ball, intercepting 24 passes, recovering 10 fumbles and blocking two punts as a three-time Pro Bowler.

57. *Tony Richardson, FB, 1995-2005 … T-Rich made the club as a special-teams maven and evolved into a two-time Pro Bowler who paved the way for Priest Holmes’ league-leading exploits.

58. Dale Carter, CB, 1992-98 … A mercurial athlete, Carter returned two punts for TDs as a rookie, went to four straight Pro Bowls and intercepted 26 career passes before leaving for Denver in free agency.

59. Bill Maas, DT, 1984-92 … Maas was a prototypical nose tackle who was tough against the run and agile enough to record 40 career sacks. A two-time Pro Bowl starter, he started 111 games, returned two fumbles for TDs and recorded two safeties.

60. *Chris Burford, WR, 1960-67 … Burford embodied the early years of the pass-happy AFL, leading the Texans/Chiefs in receiving in four of the franchise’s first eight seasons. His 391 receptions still rank sixth and his 55 TD catches are third in club history.

Honorable Mention

Jared Allen, Marcus Allen, Kimble Anders, Mike Bell, Donnie Edwards, Eric Fisher, Kendall Gammon, Trent Green, James Hasty, *Sherrill Headrick, Jim Marsalis, Henry Marshall, Mo Moorman, Dontari Poe, Willie Roaf, J.T. Smith, Dave Szott, Casey Wiegmann.

Special Mention

*Joe Delaney. Who knows what might have been had the brilliant running back not drowned in 1983 while trying to save the lives of three youngsters in a Louisiana lake?

Chiefs’ All-Time Coaches, Ranked

1. **Hank Stram, 1960-74 … (124-76-10, .614). The innovative and dapper Mentor was the winningest coach in AFL history. He won three AFL championships, appeared in two Super Bowl and won Super Bowl IV as a two-touchdown underdog en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2. Andy Reid, 2013-current … (77-35, .688). Reid revived his career and a team that had hit the skids by winning four straight AFC West titles and returning the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

3. *Marty Schottenheimer, 1989-98 … (101-58-1, .634). Schottenheimer revived a moribund program and led the Chiefs to the postseason seven times in a nine-year period ... but he could never get KC to the Super Bowl.

4. Dick Vermeil, 2001-05 … (44-36, .550). Vermeil’s high-flying offense broke all kinds of records, but the porous defenses under his watch limited the club to just one playoff appearance: in the No-Punt Game.

5. **Marv Levy, 1978-82 … (31-42, .425). Lamar Hunt would admit firing Levy was the “biggest mistake” he made as owner. Levy would lead the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls and take his place in the Hall of Fame.

6. John Mackovic, 1983-86 … (30-34, .469). Mackovic ended the Chiefs’ 15-year playoff drought, but a players’ revolt cost him his job.

7. Gunther Cunningham, 1999-2000 … (16-16, .500). Missing the chance to win the AFC West on the last day of the 1999 season and the death of Derrick Thomas derailed progress Cunningham had made.

8. Herm Edwards, 2006-08 … (15-33, .312). Herm reached one wild-card game but never got the quarterback right. He also got caught between having an aging team and a youth movement.

9. Todd Haley, 2009-11 … (19-26, .422). Haley won a weak AFC West in 2010 but couldn’t get along with anybody.

10. Paul Wiggin, 1975-77… (11-24, .314). Maybe the nicest guy ever to coach the Chiefs, he inherited an aging team and was further handicapped by abysmal drafting and the worst trade in club history.

11. Frank Gansz, 1987-88 … (8-22-1, .274). Brilliant special teams coach was not equipped to take the next step as a head coach.

12. Romeo Crennel, 2011-12 … (4-15, .210). He presided over the darkest year in Chiefs history.

13. Tom Bettis, 1977 … (1-6, 143). An interim coach who never had a chance.

Chiefs All-Time General Mangers, Ranked

1. Carl Peterson, 1989-2008 … Peterson transformed a downtrodden franchise by turning Arrowhead from a sleepy stadium to the tailgating capital of football and changed the Chiefs’ fortunes on the field with the NFL’s second-most regular season victories in the ‘90s (102-58, .638). But, no Super Bowl.

2. *Jack Steadman, 1960-88 … Lamar Hunt’s right-hand man’s major accomplishments were convincing Hunt to move the franchise to Kansas City from Dallas and spearheading the building and renovations of the Truman Sports Complex.

3. Brett Veach, 2017-current … As the NFL’s youngest general manager, Veach, 41, had the magic touch this year with the signings of Tyrann Mathieu, trade for Frank Clark and drafting of Mecole Hardman and Juan Thornhill.

4. John Dorsey, 2013-17 … Dorsey cleaned up a front-office disaster, made some astute draft picks and pulled the trigger on trading up 17 spots to draft Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft. But mishandling of the salary cap and management style led to his departure.

5. Jim Schaaf, 1976-88 … Schaaf presided over the franchise’s gloomiest period, with one playoff appearance and plenty of draft busts occurring in his 13 years.

6. Scott Pioli, 2009-11 … Pioli tried to re-create The Patriot Way in Kansas City ... and it wound up being his way out the door.

This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Here’s our Chiefs All-Time Top 60, ranked. Who’s underrated? Who did we (gulp) omit?."