Football fans have warned the Kansas City Chiefs that their bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs may actually be a curse.
That's because in this week's quarterfinal round of the college playoffs, the four teams that won their conference and earned a bye were eliminated.
Ohio State handily beat Oregon, Notre Dame beat Georgia, Penn State defeated Boise State and Arizona State was eliminated by Texas.
The Chiefs have advanced directly to the AFC divisional round after clinching the No. 1 seed with their Christmas Day victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Not only do they get a rest, but the Chiefs also get to rest several key starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for this week's regular season finale against the Denver Broncos.
But fans have warned the Chiefs that they should play their key men on Sunday to avoid getting rusty when they finally begin their postseason schedule.
Football fans warned Chiefs about their bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs
The Oregon Ducks were one of four college playoff teams that were defeated despite having a bye.
One posted on X: 'No team that got a bye in the CFP advanced. The Chiefs should take note and play all of their starters this Sunday.
Another commented: 'Every bye week the team gets slaughtered/beaten. Play with your starters @Chiefs'.
A third added: “Hey @Chiefs, it's interesting that all four teams that had a bye in the College Football Playoffs lost, don't you think?”
One Bills fan posted: “Every team in college football with a first round bye lost, which leads me to believe the Chiefs will lose in the second round.”
Although he didn't directly reference the Chiefs, Dave Portnoy hinted Thursday night that the break was the reason behind the shocking college results.
He posted: 'Early observations on the playoffs. The 4 teams with breaks lost. We were clearly rusty from the layoff. As a result, we have the weakest final 4 teams in recent memory. There are no conference champions and even a third-place Big 10 team. The playoffs will get better, but the theme this year is mediocrity.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid decided that an extended pause (up to 24 days) could go a long way toward helping Kansas City in its quest for an unprecedented triple title as Super Bowl champions.
Reid is starting backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who hopes to follow in Sam Darnold's footsteps and parlay a backup year into another opportunity to start sometime in 2025.
Reid did not reveal who else he plans to sit, although there's a good chance superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones is among them.
The same could apply to running back Isiah Pacheco, right tackle Jawaan Taylor and veteran tight end Travis Kelce, who similarly skipped last year's Week 18 game.
The Chiefs received a big injury bump ahead of the playoffs on Friday when they designated cornerback Jaylen Watson to return from the injured list, according to FOX's Jordan Schultz.
Watson has been sidelined with a fractured fibula since late October and his return is a huge boost for the reigning champions. He is reportedly scheduled to practice at the end of Week 18, the final week of the regular season.
Watson will now have 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster and could be available to make an official return for Kansas City's first postseason game in the divisional round.
The defensive star has not played since the Chiefs' Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers on October 20.