The Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 19th season in the National Football League and the 29th overall.
Bill Kenney opened the team's initial two games at quarterback, but was replaced by Steve DeBerg for the second half against Seattle. DeBerg guided the team to a 20–13 win against Denver in his initial start as a member of the Chiefs. However, six losses, and a tie followed as Kenney and DeBerg jostled for the starting job.
As the season drew to a close, it became apparent the winds of change were blowing across the organization. President Jack Steadman resigned on December 8, while general manager Jim Schaaf was relieved of his duties the same day. Steadman was later named chairman of the board. On the field, the Chiefs finished the year at 4–11–1 as questions swirled regarding head coach Frank Gansz's future and who would fill the club's leadership void. One day after the season's conclusion, former Philadelphia Eagles and United States Football League executive Carl Peterson was named the club's president/general manager and chief operating officer on December 19.
Offseason The spring was marked by several notable trades as the club jockeyed to improve on its 4–11 finish in 1987. Todd Blackledge was traded to Pittsburgh on March 29 and 12-year veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg was acquired from Tampa Bay on March 31. The Chiefs moved up one spot in the first round of the draft to select defensive end Neil Smith with the second overall pick.
NFL draft
Personnel
Staff / Coaches
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 Cincinnati Bengals W 34–21 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium 31,947 Recap 2 at Atlanta Falcons W 27–13 2–0 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 23,369 Recap 3 at Green Bay Packers T 21–21 2–0–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 32,361 Recap 4 Phoenix Cardinals L 21–41 2–1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 36,883 Recap
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 4 Cleveland Browns L 3–6 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium 55,654 Recap 2 September 11 at Seattle Seahawks L 10–31 0–2 Kingdome 61,512 Recap 3 September 18 Denver Broncos W 20–13 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 63,268 Recap 4 September 25 San Diego Chargers L 23–24 1–3 Arrowhead Stadium 45,498 Recap 5 October 2 at New York Jets T 17–17 1–3–1 Giants Stadium 66,110 Recap 6 October 9 at Houston Oilers L 6–7 1–4–1 Houston Astrodome 39,134 Recap 7 October 16 Los Angeles Raiders L 17–27 1–5–1 Arrowhead Stadium 77,078 Recap 8 October 23 Detroit Lions L 6–7 1–6–1 Arrowhead Stadium 66,926 Recap 9 October 30 at Los Angeles Raiders L 10–17 1–7–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 36,103 Recap 10 November 6 at Denver Broncos L 11–17 1–8–1 Mile High Stadium 74,227 Recap 11 November 13 Cincinnati Bengals W 31–28 2–8–1 Arrowhead Stadium 34,614 Recap 12 November 20 Seattle Seahawks W 27–24 3–8–1 Arrowhead Stadium 33,152 Recap 13 November 27 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 10–16 3–9–1 Three Rivers Stadium 42,057 Recap 14 December 4 New York Jets W 38–34 4–9–1 Arrowhead Stadium 30,059 Recap 15 December 11 at New York Giants L 12–28 4–10–1 Giants Stadium 69,807 Recap 16 December 18 at San Diego Chargers L 13–24 4–11–1 Jack Murphy Stadium 26,339 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 5: at New York Jets
Week 6: at Houston Oilers
Week 7: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 9: at Los Angeles Raiders
Week 10: at Denver Broncos
Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14: vs. New York Jets
Week 15: at New York Giants
Week 16: at San Diego Chargers
Standings
References
External links 1988 Kansas City Chiefs at Pro-Football-Reference.com