With Patrick Mahomes recovering from an ACL tear and the Chiefs offense generally struggling in 2025, Kansas City could turn to the NFL Draft to find a new X-Factor
17:06 ET, 21 Feb 2026Updated 17:11 ET, 21 Feb 2026
Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL after the Chiefs had already missed the playoffs
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Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL after the Chiefs had already missed the playoffs(Image: Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs could make a key move in the NFL Draft that a leading analyst believes will complete their offense.
The Chiefs are coming off a torrid 2025 season. For the first time since 2014, the AFC West franchise missed the playoffs while Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL, leaving his hopes of playing the whole 2026 campaign in doubt.
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But the Chiefs are looking to make moves to freshen up the roster ahead of the new season. Mahomes’ contract was restructured to create over $43 million in cap space, and Tyreek Hill has been linked to a return after he was released by the Miami Dolphins.
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Arguably one of the greatest deep threats of all time, Hill’s potential return could help provide a spark for a Chiefs offense desperately in need of some of its old magic. However, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love could serve as the antidote to a problem the Chiefs inadvertently created through their past incredible offensive explosions.
These days, NFL franchises have adopted a higher rate of two-high safety coverages to limit deep passing offenses and encourage more patient passing plays. But this defense can also be unlocked with a dominant run game, and for NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Love coul be the perfect option for the Chiefs at No. 9 overall.
“I’ve just kind of felt like that was a missing piece for them,” Jeremiah told reporters. “I think the Chiefs, and Tyreek Hill, with him being back in the news and being released, and we’ll see if he ends up back in Kansas City. But I think he was a really key player in that offense, was a really key contributor to changing the game.
“I really think because of how explosive and dynamic that Chiefs team was, you saw this shell coverage kind of take over the league. Two-high looks, willing to concede some yards underneath in the passing game and even in the running game, and just we’re not going to let you throw the ball over our heads, we’re not going to give up explosive plays. That was really kind of a direct result of how dynamic that Chiefs offense was and in some degree, the Rams as well.
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Jeremiyah Love was a Heisman Trophy finalist after a stellar season with Notre Dame
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Jeremiyah Love was a Heisman Trophy finalist after a stellar season with Notre Dame(Image: Getty Images)
“But I always thought that, man, with the looks that they see, if you had a dynamic back who, not only can run the ball and make you pay for those looks, but someone with the safeties and everybody so deep, if you had one-on-one routes, like the best matchup in football would be Jeremiyah Love against a linebacker. You get a chance to get explosive without having to throw the ball down the field.
“So, that offense in Kansas City has been everything, quick underneath, quick underneath, because of the looks they’re getting, but they haven’t been able to make people pay for those looks. And I think this is an opportunity as a runner and as a receiver to really, really make some teams pay for how they play Kansas City.”
The two-high safety shell has kept high-flying offenses in check. But one way to deal with the scheme is to run the football effectively, creating explosive plays on the ground with fewer defenders around the line of scrimmage.
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Love is someone who could break the game open for Kansas City. For Notre Dame last year, the Heisman Trophy finalist rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was also an elite big-play star, breaking off for 22 rushes of over 20 yards. In 2025, Kansas City had just three runs of at least 20 yards in 2025 — and only one of those runs came from a running back.
But Love could provide explosive plays out of the backfield, and star with Mahomes in 2026 and beyond.