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By ERIC BLUM

Published: 01:02 EDT, 3 July 2025 | Updated: 01:12 EDT, 3 July 2025

Dan Meers, who has been inside the ‘KC Wolf’ mascot costume for the Kansas City Chiefs for the last 35 years is hanging up his headgear.

Meers is retiring from the NFL and handing over the responsibilities of team mascot to someone else after more than 10,000 events as ‘KC Wolf’.

Who will take over inside the iconic costume has yet to be publicly announced as Kansas City looks to get back to its championship ways.

Meers first portrayed the mascot, Truman the Tiger, for the nearby University of Missouri from 1986 to 1990, before becoming the second KC Wolf as his run at Mizzou ended.

The mascot is incredibly popular with the Chiefs fan base, as he has been involved in several notable events with the team, on and off the field.

At the 2001 Pro Bowl, Meers, inside the costume, tackled a drunk fan on the field and kept him down until security could arrive to put the person into custody.

The NFL’s longest-tenured mascot is officially hanging up the suit.

Thank you Dan for your commitment to Chiefs Kingdom over the past 35 years  pic.twitter.com/HHp4Pexijf

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 1, 2025

Dan Meers, the ‘KC Wolf’ mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs for the last 35 years, is retiring

 Meers will hand the responsibilities of the mascot to someone else after 10,000-plus events

During a September 2007 game, Meers repeated the feat, this time in front of the home crowd at Arrowhead Stadium, of taking down a trespassing fan.

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Arguably Meers’ worst moment inside the KC Wolf costume happened in November 2013.

He suffered several injuries while practicing a zip-line stunt including a broken back, seven broken ribs, a tailbone fracture, and a collapsed lung.

Even after the incident, Meers continued to be the Chiefs’ mascot for a dozen years.

The post-Meers era for the Chiefs begins on September 5, with a game in Brazil against a divisional opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers.