Patrick Mahomes insists he needs to make a change if he wants to lead the Kansas City Chiefs back to Super Bowl glory, declaring that he must improve his downfield passing if NFL defenses are to respect them again.
The Chiefs open training camp coming off the back of a crushing defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, with their 29-year-old quarterback suffering six sacks in a 40-22 loss on February 9.
And offensive line vulnerabilities were not the only problem either as the offense, once one of the league’s most feared, struggled to find its trademark explosiveness through a combination of injuries and poor plays.
Now, with preparations underway for a new campaign, the star player has publicly acknowledged the change that must happen if the team is to make a serious push for another championship: improved vertical passing.
“I have to be better at throwing the ball down the field,” Mahomes said when addressing reporters at camp. “Obviously, we weren’t good enough there.
“If teams are going to challenge us at the line of scrimmage, if teams are going to challenge us to throw the ball deep, we have to show we can do that.
“If we can do that, it starts with me and giving guys a chance, I think it really is going to open up the offense and make us a better team in general.”
How good did the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense used to be?
While the defense proved to be one of the NFL’s most reliable units throughout the 2024/25 NFL season, the offense found itself largely ineffective compared to past campaigns.
And Mahomes‘ comments represent a critical shift in tone and strategy for a player who, despite three Super Bowl rings and two league MVPs, has seen his efficiency on deep throws sharply decline in recent years.
Between 2018 and 2022, he was among the NFL’s elite when attacking vertically. He averaged 4.3 deep pass attempts per game and produced 45 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions.
That gave the Chiefs an ace-in-the-hole and made defenses afford other players, such as Travis Kelce, even more time on the ball as they looked to cover off downfield options such as Tyreek Hill.
However, in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, those figures dropped significantly. Mahomes attempted only three deep passes per game over that stretch and saw his production deteriorate.
The shift not only limited Kansas City’s scoring potential but also allowed opposing defenses to press receivers and crowd the short and intermediate zones. This was on show during Super Bowl LIX.
Now with the likes of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown on the roster, there are hopes that the team will be able to bounce back and can bring the play back into their arsenal – earning the respect of NFL defenses once again.
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