The Kansas City Chiefs faced a double setback this year, missing out on both the chance to secure a third consecutive Super Bowl title and the opportunity to win at the 2025 ESPY Awards. The nominations were revealed on June 26, leaving fans and players alike surprised by the omissions.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, key figures in the Chiefs' recent successes, found themselves absent from the nominations for Best Athlete, Men’s Sports, and Best NFL Player. Mahomes, who had previously claimed the Best Athlete title for two consecutive years, was notably left out this time.
This year’s nominees for Best Athlete include Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Barkley and Allen also join Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Patrick Surtain II of the Denver Broncos in the Best NFL Player category.
The Chiefs were further sidelined in the Best Team category, overshadowed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who triumphed over them in Super Bowl LIX. Other nominees included the NBA champion Thunder, World Series-winning Dodgers, two-time Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers, WNBA champion New York Liberty, NCAA women’s lacrosse champion North Carolina Tar Heels, gold medal-winning U.S. women’s national soccer team, and NCAA women’s basketball champion UConn Huskies.
In women’s sports, nominees for Best Athlete feature gymnast Simone Biles, Las Vegas Aces player A’ja Wilson, and track stars Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas. Notably, Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark missed out on Best Athlete but received nominations for Best Record-Breaking Performance and Best WNBA Player alongside Wilson, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.
As the Chiefs look ahead to the upcoming season, training camp is set to commence on July 22. Kelce confirmed his return for another season in February, motivated by the team's Super Bowl loss. “I think the biggest thing is that I f—ing love playing the game of football,” he shared on his “New Heights” podcast in March. “I still feel like I can play at a high level... I just want to give it a good run.”
The 2025 ESPY Awards will be hosted by comedian Shane Gillis and are scheduled to air live on July 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
