It’s a fact that the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense hasn’t looked the same since their explosive 2022 season. While they still made it to two Super Bowls since then — winning one and losing the other — their success hasn’t been driven by a high-powered offense. The offense has often looked sluggish, doing just enough to get by.
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That edge and spark we’ve come to expect from an Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes unit has noticeably faded. So, what changed?
Much of it likely stems from the wide receiver room, which hasn’t been the same since Tyreek Hill’s departure. Even Travis Kelce, while still a game-changer, has shown signs of slowing down with each passing season.
The Chiefs have relied on rookies and bargain free agents, often signing them to short-term deals. That has resulted in a middle-of-the-pack passing attack, ranked 14th in the league last season with just 222 yards per game and 26 passing touchdowns.
But could things turn around this year? Is there real potential in this revamped receiving corps? Mahomes certainly thinks so.
The star quarterback believes he has enough weapons to make the offense work. “We have so many weapons. Let’s just go and maximize it all,” he told Kay Adams.
“It’s not going to be one person. It’s going to be the entire offense, going out there, trying to showcase what the Kansas City Chiefs truly are,” Mahomes added.
The 2-time MVP also believes he has a lot of depth in the WR room. It may not be the same as when he had Hill and Kelce in their prime, but there is still talent to give up when trimming the roster down to 53 men.
“I think it is going to be the deepest. It’s hard to always say that you had Tyreek and Travis Kelce in the prime of their careers. That is hard to always say it’s deeper than that, but at the same time, it’s not the depth. It’s going to be hard to make cuts because we have so many great receivers,” added Mahomes.
The Chiefs’ WR room includes Hollywood Brown, Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio, Justyn Ross, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Jason Brownlee, and rookies like Jalen Royals, Elijah Badger, Jimmy Holiday, and Mac Dalena.
They’re also deep at tight end with a good mix of youth and experience. It includes Travis Kelce, Jake Briningstool, Geor’Quarius Spivey, Robert Tonyan, Jared Wiley, Trey Watson, and Noah Gray. When it comes time to trim the roster, the Chiefs will likely keep around eight receivers and four tight ends.
On paper, this group looks promising. But in reality, many of these names are returning from last season, some of whom barely saw the field. That means it’s a fresh start for players like Brown, who joins with high expectations, and a make-or-break year for others like Moore and Ross.
Rice, who spent significant time battling injuries last year, will look to stay healthy and build off his flashes of potential. Worthy will get a bigger role in the offense. Rookies like Royals add explosive speed and a new dimension to the group.
If everyone can stay healthy, this could be a thrilling year for the Chiefs’ offense. With so much speed and depth, Kansas City might just recapture the firepower of their 2022 campaign, when Mahomes threw for over 5,000 yards and claimed MVP honors.
