Seven weeks into the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are cruising with an undefeated 6-0 record. On paper, it looks like they’re primed for another dominant run, especially with a defense that’s been shredding some of the league’s top quarterbacks. Yet, something feels off with the Chiefs’ offense, and yes, it’s surprising to say this about a team led by Patrick Mahomes, arguably the best quarterback in the game.
But right now, Mahomes is putting up numbers that don’t quite scream “MVP” – and it’s left fans and analysts alike asking: Is this the worst season of Mahomes’ career? And, honestly, does it even matter? Let’s dig into it.
A Middling Start for Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes, without question, is the best quarterback in the NFL. That’s a fact, not up for debate. But this season, his performance has been surprisingly average. The Chiefs’ offense, which used to strike fear into defenses, has yet to score more than 30 points in a game. What’s more shocking? They’ve faced only one defense ranked in the top 12 regarding efficiency (EPA/play). Under normal circumstances, Mahomes would dominate such a schedule, and we’d be talking MVP in October. But not this year.
Mahomes is completing 67% of his passes—solid, but nothing spectacular. With just six touchdowns and eight interceptions, his passer rating is 82.5, 20 points below his career average. He’s thrown for fewer than 150 yards in more games than he’s thrown for over 300 this season. For a player of Mahomes’ caliber, that’s alarming.
What’s Happening With Patrick Mahomes?
Despite these concerning stats, Mahomes has still had flashes of brilliance. He’s pulled his team through tough games with clutch plays and used his legs to extend drives. But his passing game is far from what we’ve come to expect. As we near the season’s halfway point, the Chiefs’ passing attack looks like it’s hit an all-time low under Mahomes.
Statistically, Mahomes sits 13th in the NFL in passing yards (1,389) and 21st in passing touchdowns (6). Worse still, he’s tied for the most interceptions in the league with eight. His QBR of 61.2 places him 9th among quarterbacks, which, by his standards, is underwhelming. Even Mahomes admits the offense isn’t clicking. “There’s been a lot of turnovers, especially by me,” he said this week. “It’s not just about the stats and the light show… It’s about playing team football.”
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The Shift in Patrick Mahomes’ Playing Style
Mahomes’ game has evolved. He’s no longer the reckless gunslinger who would throw from any angle and still hit his mark. Now, he plays more maturely, mixing big plays with methodical drives. At 29, Mahomes is channeling a version of himself more Drew Brees than Brett Favre. He’s handing the ball off more often and leaning on the Chiefs’ ground game to grind out wins.
But even with a run-heavy approach, the Chiefs recognize they need help. On Wednesday, they traded for veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins—a clear sign that the passing game isn’t where it needs to be.
Receiver Woes and Offensive Struggles
Kansas City hoped to improve their offense in the offseason by drafting Xavier Worthy and signing Hollywood Brown in free agency. Both were brought in to give Mahomes more deep-ball targets and open the field for Travis Kelce, Skyy Moore, and Rashee Rice. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed those plans. Brown is expected to miss the entire regular season, and Rice landed on injured reserve with a knee injury in Week 2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, signed to fill the gap, also got hurt.
This left the Chiefs relying heavily on Kelce and a patchwork receiving corps. Worthy has shown some promise as a rookie but is far from consistent. Moore, drafted in 2022, hasn’t caught a single pass this season. Despite missing two games, Rice is tied for second on the team in targets. That’s how thin the Chiefs’ receiving options are.
The lack of reliable targets has forced Kansas City to double down on its running game, putting even more pressure on Mahomes to avoid mistakes. But that’s where the issues lie—Mahomes has been making uncharacteristic turnovers.
Patrick Mahomes and Turnovers: A New Problem?
Throughout his career, Mahomes has always been good at protecting the ball. He threw 12 picks in his first season as a starter but only 11 in the next two combined. Last season, however, his interceptions jumped to 14. He’s already thrown eight this year, and we’re only seven weeks in. What’s concerning is that six of those eight picks came from clean pockets, and he has the highest turnover-worthy throw rate of his career.
Not all of these interceptions are entirely Mahomes’ fault. Some have come off tipped balls or impressive defensive plays. Still, the turnovers are more damaging this season than in previous years because the Chiefs’ offense has become more reliant on mistake-free football.
Will DeAndre Hopkins Fix Everything?
Hopkins might help, but he’s not a cure-all for the Chiefs’ offensive struggles. At 32, the veteran receiver isn’t the explosive player he once was. But if he can offer Mahomes a reliable set of hands, that’s still a significant improvement over the current state of the receiving corps.
With Hopkins in the lineup, Kansas City can continue their run-heavy approach while lightening Mahomes’ workload. But for the Chiefs to return to being Super Bowl favorites, Mahomes must clean up the turnovers and rediscover his old magic.
