1997 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1998 Kansas City Chiefs season began with high hopes of the team avenging its loss in the 1998 playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, but instead the Chiefs failed to succeed in the highly competitive AFC West. The team finished with a 7–9 record and 4th place in the AFC West. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer announced his resignation following the season after ten seasons with the team and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham assumed coaching duties for 1999.

Offseason
On April 9, Marcus Allen announced his retirement.

Regular season
The Chiefs began the season well on September 6 with an impressive performance and easily defeat the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead 28–8. Kansas City sacked the Raiders quarterbacks 10 times, with Derrick Thomas collecting 6 by himself.

On September 13, Kansas City falls to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, 21–16.

On October 4, Kansas City conquers the Seattle Seahawks and the rain at Arrowhead, 17–6. Rich Gannon hit Andre Rison for an 80-yard touchdown pass after a 54-minute rain delay caused by a violent storm. The two teams combined for nine turnovers, five by Kansas City. The win improves the Chiefs' record to 4–1.

That would be the high point of the season as the chiefs would lose 8 of the last 11 games and finished with their first losing season since 1988.