The 1998 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 39th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 29th overall. The season began with the team hoping to not only improve on their 13–3 campaign the previous season but to also avenge their loss in the 1998 playoffs against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. However, instead, the Chiefs failed to succeed in the highly competitive AFC West. This was the first time Derrick Thomas was not named to the Pro Bowl roster.