There was a time before the Kansas City Chiefs was the juggernaut that we know of. This was the time when the Arrowhead did not have players like Travis Kelce or Patrick Mahomes. Instead, the team was known for the late Otis Taylor, and veteran head coach Marty Schottenheimer. Both remain outside Canton, despite Tay.

And while Schottenheimer and Taylor continue to wait, it feels like an inevitable conclusion that Kelce will be a First Ballot Induction when he decides to hang up his cleats. While all three men are greats in their own right, Taylor and Schottenheimer’s contributions legitimately deserve more love and attention.

Taylor and Schottenheimer “have a shot” at the Hall of Fame before Kelce retires, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote on May 20. But once Kelce retires, their chances will hang in the balance. If the TE retires after this season, in 2031, Kelce might be wearing the coveted golden jacket. When compared to him, Taylor and Schottenheimer don’t make a solid case for Hall of Fame candidacy.

“[The] ring-less Schottenheimer is far from a slam dunk, despite being one of two non-active NFL coaches (with Bill Belichick) with 200-plus victories not yet in the Hall,” Edholm wrote for the veteran coach. Otis Taylor is his prediction for this year, but Edholm noted that his “candidacy is also imperfect.”

Taylor remains one of the most debated omissions connected to Chiefs history. The late Kansas City wide receiver spent his entire AFL/NFL career with the franchise from 1965 to 1975.  He developed into one of football’s most dangerous vertical threats during that era. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Taylor possessed a rare combination of size and explosiveness.

The iconic WR played a key role in helping the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 1969. His most celebrated moment came that same season, when he caught a pass from quarterback Mike Livingston, ran with it for 79 yards, and lateralled it to running back Robert Holmes, who went for the endzone. This 93-yard play was the longest reception in Chiefs history at that time.

Taylor finished with 7,306 yards and 57 TDs, earning two All-Pros and pre-merger honors.

The challenge surrounding Taylor’s candidacy is evaluating him in the context of the era he played in. There are not many during the decade that Taylor played who recorded more than 10,000 yards. Lance Alworth, who played from 1962 to 1972 for the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys, is one such case. But he got into the Hall of Fame in 1978, with a resume sporting 10,266 yards. Taylor’s 7,000+ total doesn’t make for a great argument here.

Unlike Taylor, Schottenheimer’s omission stems not from era bias but from one glaring absence: a Super Bowl ring. The longtime Chiefs head coach remains one of the winningest coaches in NFL history, recording stints across four teams for 21 seasons. Schottenheimer compiled a career regular season record of 200-126-1.

Only four coaches in history finished with more regular season wins than Schottenheimer. That star-studded list consists of Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry, and Curly Lambeau. That’s a celebrated club to be in, but everyone except Schottenheimer is in the Hall of Fame.

Schottenheimer coached the Chiefs from 1989 to 1998.  He helped transform them into a consistent winner, something they had lacked for a while. He led the Chiefs to the playoffs seven times in that span, tallying 101 wins.  This was the best 10-year stretch in franchise history at that time.

But his postseason failures complicate his Hall of Fame candidacy. His teams repeatedly fell short in the playoffs, and the absence of a Super Bowl could be considered by voters. Andy Reid has a better shot at the Hall of Fame than Schottenheimer does.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher said that Schottenheimer’s not being in the Hall bothers him. Cowher began his NFL coaching career under Schottenheimer in Cleveland. While the former is in the Hall of Fame, the man who hired him is not.

“If I’m in the Hall of Fame,” Cowher said recently, “Marty Schottenheimer is in the Hall of Fame with me.”

But their cases will evaporate the minute Travis Kelce announces his retirement.

Travis Kelce Appears To Be The Next Chiefs Hall of Fame Lock

The Chiefs TE is considered by many as one of the most notable tight ends in the league. Since he began his NFL career in 2013, Kelce has amassed 13,002 receiving yards and 85 total touchdowns. Both rank as the third-highest totals all-time among tight ends. Kelce also made 11 Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls. Those feats alone will make him a favorite among Hall of Fame voters.

Shannon Sharpe, who was a first ballot Hall of Famer and also considered to be one of the greatest tight ends ever, was glowing in his praise for Kelce.

“I believe that Travis Kelce is the greatest tight end who has ever played.”

On that same note, Drew Brees, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, seemed to personally invite Kelce into the prestigious group.

“I’ll be welcoming you guys into this club someday,” he told Travis and his elder brother, Jason, on the New Heights podcast.

Kelce’s induction seems to be a done deal, as he’s already being viewed as a First Ballot Hall of Famer. That will push back the intentions of so many other Chiefs legends, who also have respectable playing careers to their names.