Kansas City Chiefs Need Offensive Changes This Offseason

After a costly drop on Sunday Night Football, Travis Kelce looked dejected sitting on the Kansas City Chiefs bench.

While the Houston Texans defeated the Chiefs 20-10 to keep their dreams alive in the AFC Playoff picture, Kansas City’s legendary run looks to be all but over.

The Chiefs look unimaginative, old, and out of ideas.

While Patrick Mahomes is still undoubtedly the NFL’s best quarterback, his offensive line has been inconsistent, his pass catchers are not that talented, and outside of a few powerful Kareem Hunt end zone pushes, his run game leaves a lot to be desired.

Just a few months ago, the football world waited to see if the Chiefs could win three straight Super Bowls. Now, they are firmly on the outside looking in on the upcoming NFL postseason.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that the team has to pick themselves up and get themselves going again. Unfortunately, it feels difficult to see a reality where that happens.

Sure, the Texans have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but Mahomes tossed three interceptions and had a quarterback rating under 20. Mahomes was Kansas City’s leading rusher. At this stage of his career, Hunt isn’t the same effective running back that led the NFL in rushing during his rookie season. Isiah Pacheco hasn’t been very good, either.

Right now, the Chiefs are not scaring anybody offensively like how they used to. Major changes are going to be needed this offseason to get back to those days.

There’s no secret that the Chiefs have a ton of money invested in Mahomes and future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Chris Jones. They’ve also invested a lot into protecting the best quarterback in the NFL, and it doesn’t feel like they have gotten the greatest return on investment.

Certainly, the Chiefs can use Travis Kelce to retire. Once a focal point of their passing game, the 36-year-old’s best days are behind him and Canton awaits.

At times, it feels puzzling why the Chiefs have been this bad. After all, Mahomes and Reid have been the best duo in the league since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s split with the New England Patriots. They have the best quarterback, the best coach, and a formidable defense.

But the lack of explosion killed them in 2026. Mahomes can’t do it all by himself this time. They have no run game. Rashee Rice is a quality receiver, but he missed too much time due to suspension and just hasn’t been impactful enough.

After one down year, nobody is saying that the Chiefs need a reset. But they certainly need a slight overhaul offensively to capitalize on having Mahomes in what should be the prime of his career.