Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has signed a massive new extension with the franchise. The 30-year-old is now tied to the team through the 2033 season. The reworked deal has an NFL-record total value of $504.75 million, making it the first contract in NFL history to exceed half a billion dollars. The Chiefs offense has been on a steady decline over the last four seasons, and Mahomes coming off a torn ACL less than one year ago will not help matters in 2026.
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Their defense has remained in or around the top ten since 2023, and they drafted a cornerback in the first round of this year’s draft despite many Chiefs fans hoping the team would add another offensive weapon. Many believe the lack of elite pass catchers has been the primary reason behind the offensive struggles. The receiver room has not been elite in recent years. But the franchise has invested several high draft picks at the position since superstar receiver Tyreek Hill departed following the 2021 season.
The offensive line has consistently graded as one of the top five to ten units in the league across nearly every major metric in each of the following seasons. On top of that, the Chiefs have had one of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history, Andy Reid, leading the offense. The offense was able to remain productive in 2022 without Hill because tight end Travis Kelce was still playing at an all-time level.
However, that season marked the end of Kelce’s dominance as an elite player. Since then, he has remained a top-ten tight end in the league, but that is a significant decline from the historic impact he provided earlier in his career. His drop-off has made it more difficult for him to cover up deficiencies from the other pass catchers and even some struggles from Mahomes himself. Andy Reid is known for his reluctance to rely heavily on the running game and his tendency to fall into a pass-heavy offensive approach.
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Even when he has an elite offensive line and a strong rushing attack. Moving forward, he may need to adjust his philosophy and develop a more balanced, under-center, run-focused offense if the Chiefs continue to lack an elite pass catcher and if Mahomes is unable to return to his previous level of play. That type of adjustment would be difficult for a coach who has been so committed to his offensive philosophy for decades, but nothing should be ruled out when discussing a Hall of Fame coach who remains determined to win at the highest level.
