SI Article: Chiefs need to change from efficient to explosive on offense

[FloridaMan88]

Can’t they be both… efficiently explosive?

Link: https://www.si.com/nfl/chiefs-facing...e-travis-kelce

Whether Travis Kelce decides to play in 2025, the Kansas City Chiefs must come to the same conclusion: They have to move onto their next phase.

No, they don’t have to release Kelce, although doing so would save $17.2 million in cap space. Kelce, 35, is too valuable and too important in the locker room to make such a choice, even with those savings.

However, the Chiefs must understand that to move forward, to attempt to reach a fourth consecutive Super Bowl (and sixth in seven years), the offense has to change. It has to go through receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, with Kelce being nothing more than a component.

Over the past two seasons, Kansas City has enjoyed immense success. The Chiefs have reached both Super Bowls and won one, to say nothing about winning it all in 2022 as well. All of this came after the team traded All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, but the metamorphosis from explosive to egregiously slow didn’t happen right away.

In fact, the slowdown began in 2021. After ranking sixth, 10th and 13th, respectively, from ’18 to ’20 in average depth of target (ADOT), Patrick Mahomes checked in at 24th in Hill’s last campaign with the club as opponents began to play more shell coverages.

In 2022, the first year without Hill, Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards and earned MVP honors. However, his ADOT was still 23rd in the league. The following year, it took a nosedive to 30th as Kansas City relied heavily on poor wideouts, including Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney.

This past season? Mahomes failed to throw for 4,000 yards for the first time in his career while ranking 41st in ADOT, only ahead of Gardner Minshew II and Tua Tagovailoa. Part of the reason was losing Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown early on to injuries, but another problem was the overreliance on Kelce.

Over the past two years, Kelce has been targeted 254 times. Rice is second on the team over that span with 131 targets despite playing just four games this season. Nobody else cracked 100. Despite that, Kelce hasn’t made either All-Pro team or gained 1,000 receiving yards after seven straight seasons of doing both before 2023.

Of course, the dependence on Kelce is also due to a factor that should keep general manager Brett Veach awake at night … the issues at left and right tackle.

And for Veach, that’s where the offseason focus must be.

For Mahomes to get back to his fire-breathing ways, the Chiefs have to fix their issues at left tackle. While Jawaan Taylor is financially locked in for one more year (before Kansas City almost certainly releases him to save $20 million prior to 2026), the other side has options.

The Chiefs, who have approximately $11.5 million in cap space, can open up another $50 million to $60 million with an extension for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, a restructure of Mahomes’s mega-deal and adding a void year to Kelce’s pact. With that money, Veach could re-sign Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith and then shop for a left tackle in free agency as Alaric Jackson, Ronnie Stanley and Cam Robinson are all available.

Veach could also go another direction. He could use the third-round pick acquired from the Tennessee Titans in the L’Jarius Sneed trade last offseason (No. 66) to move up in the first round for an answer on the blindside. By saving tens of millions by drafting a left tackle instead of signing one, perhaps Veach could get in the receiver business.

With Worthy and Rice on cheaper rookie deals for a few more years, would Veach entertain trying to add another big name on the outside? There are a host of free-agent receivers worth discussing at One Arrowhead Drive, ranging from Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin to Stefon Diggs.

For Kansas City, the offensive ethos must change. For years, the Chiefs struck fear into defenses. Mahomes could go over the top at any moment. Most importantly, every throw was on the board. Now, the Chiefs are throwing shorter than any team in football, and the result was the 17th-ranked scoring offense and a unit that led the league in plays per drive.

Efficiency is good. Explosiveness is better.

And that doesn’t only go for the receivers. If the line is improved, the running backs should also be overhauled. While Isiah Pacheco is a quality player, he’s also missed 13 games over the past two years and is hitting free agency in 2026. Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine are both free agents now.

For Veach, the draft class presents a cornucopia of options in the backfield, with running back being one of the strongest positions of this rookie crop. Kansas City would be wise to take someone on Day 2, giving the Chiefs speed in a way they haven’t enjoyed at tailback since the days of Jamaal Charles.

Ultimately, Kansas City needs to get faster across the board, and it needs to rediscover the ability to play aggressively. For years, the Chiefs and Mahomes have eschewed the intermediate and deep routes for smaller, surer gains. It’s hard to argue with most of the results, but Super Bowl LIX also showed that without a better line and some weapons to back defenses off, disaster is always looming against a quality opponent.

Kelce might play in 2025. His decision hasn’t been made. Fair enough.

But if the Chiefs want to taste glory once more and keep their dynasty rolling, Kelce’s choice pales in comparison to the other tasks at hand.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

See my post above.

Man, I just don't know that I want to be trading for WRs these days. The money is still ****ing nuts for them.

Like you said, just keep stacking at the position. Once the depth is established and you have a viable throughput every season, you don't have to do this annual first 6 weeks slog while you're waiting for your #2 (or even #1) receiver to come online.

You just keep plugging and chugging.

Yeah, I really like our 2 right now. Get Rice up and healthy and we're fine there.

#3 WR's aren't hard to find. Just keep churning it.

They need to figure out the LT spot and get a RB worth a ****, offense should be back good to go.

I've really dug in on that other DE spot. We've gotta get more rush from that spot. Be it FAU (skeptical) or whoever. Chase Young makes too much sense to me and I'd call the Giants and see if they're ready to move Thbodeaux yet.

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Verderame went on a rant about how they need to pay Trey Smith whatever it takes and sign a top of the market WR…

Nonsense, and I like Matt generally. But they do not need to fork over $45-50M AAV to Trey Smith and Tee Higgins.

[Hoover]

It’s hard being explosive and throwing bombs down the field when your blindside tackle is ass. They will be more explosive when they figure out LT. Nagy kinda sucks too, but the answer to the question is”do we have the time to run wasp” today is **** no.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Verderame went on a rant about how they need to pay Trey Smith whatever it takes and sign a top of the market WR…

Nonsense, and I like Matt generally. But they do not need to fork over $45-50M AAV to Trey Smith and Tee Higgins.

Verdarame is extremely emotional and hyperbolic, always has been. I've never got the intrigue there. He's bleh to me.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Tired of all the smiles from defenses because they get to play against KC offense and Mahomes.


Want to wipe those smiles off their faces and run a real NFL offense again.

Yep I want our track team back, and we basically already do with Worthy, Brown and Rice... now we just need an O line that allows us to utilize all of that speed

[ThrobProng]

Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19

Verderame went on a rant about how they need to pay Trey Smith whatever it takes and sign a top of the market WR…

Nonsense, and I like Matt generally. But they do not need to fork over $45-50M AAV to Trey Smith and Tee Higgins.

Trey Smith is good for the occasional run blocking highlight, but he pretty much sucks ass in pass protection. No thanks.

[pugsnotdrugs19]

Originally Posted by ThrobProng

Trey Smith is good for the occasional run blocking highlight, but he pretty much sucks ass in pass protection. No thanks.

Yeah I don’t know if he missed Smith’s performance all year or what but he talks about him like he’s a flawless, dominant guard.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

Yep I want our track team back, and we basically already do with Worthy, Brown and Rice... now we just need an O line that allows us to utilize all of that speed

The Eagles punching Mahomes in the head and laughing made me sick.

[O.city]

"They've gotta do this or they must do that".

I'm just.....**** man. It's hard in today's environment of sports with everything being so 30 second clippy and shit so I get it.

But they came 1 game short of winning 3 straight super bowls.

3. In a row.

40 regular season wins in 3 years, 2 SB's.

As a lifelong Chief fan I'm gonna say guys....it's really hard to me to be that upset right now.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

Yeah, I really like our 2 right now. Get Rice up and healthy and we're fine there.

#3 WR's aren't hard to find. Just keep churning it.

They need to figure out the LT spot and get a RB worth a ****, offense should be back good to go.

I've really dug in on that other DE spot. We've gotta get more rush from that spot. Be it FAU (skeptical) or whoever. Chase Young makes too much sense to me and I'd call the Giants and see if they're ready to move Thbodeaux yet.

If they had some way to get McDuffie extended this off-season while signing Jackson and Young to firm up LT and DE, I'd be fine with that off-season even if it meant losing Bolton.

I have no !@#$ing idea what you'd do at LB at that point, but that's where Crow's point comes in - there ARE value propositions at off-ball linebacker every year. We got one with Tranquill (and then overpaid to retain him, IMO). Gay would be one. Baun obviously would've been.

That's an overlooked position except for at the very top of the market. And if we have to take a step back there to get better options at more important positions, well I can handle that.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

The Eagles punching Mahomes in the head and laughing made me sick.

Yeah man teams are increasingly willing to be dirty with him, and the refs are increasingly willing to look the other way due to the media frenzy of "perceived bias"

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

If they had some way to get McDuffie extended this off-season while signing Jackson and Young to firm up LT and DE, I'd be fine with that off-season even if it meant losing Bolton.

I have no !@#$ing idea what you'd do at LB at that point, but that's where Crow's point comes in - there ARE value propositions at off-ball linebacker every year. We got one with Tranquill (and then overpaid to retain him, IMO). Gay would be one. Baun obviously would've been.

That's an overlooked position except for at the very top of the market. And if we have to take a step back there to get better options at more important positions, well I can handle that.

I'd keep Bolton. I think just makes up for alot on the defense and he played really well this year.

Bring back Willie for sure.

[Coochie liquor]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

The Eagles punching Mahomes in the head and laughing made me sick.

Same shit in the TB SB. Suh tried to hurt Pat a few times, and he’s done it before too. But don’t get even speak to Tom (looking at you Honey Badger) or you’ll be flagged.

[ForeverIowan]

Draft TreyVeon Henderson and Tez Johnson with your late 2nd and early 3rd. Use your 1st and whatever future draft resources required to figure out left tackle once and for all. Start putting the fear of God back in defenses with elite speed and a generational QB. If needed, retool the defense next year. Im ready to start hanging 40+ on teams again.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by O.city

As a lifelong Chief fan I'm gonna say guys....it's really hard to me to be that upset right now.

I hate that we were 1 game away from achieving something beyond my wildest dreams for this team. One game. Something no one had ever done. That'll bruise. It was right there.

But outside of that? Nah, I'm pretty good with it. Nothing is over. Mahomes is only 1/2 done with his career. For the most part we've got a young team. Future is bright...