Patrick Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in the modern NFL era. He has been the biggest reason for Kansas City Chiefs‘ recent success and has led them to win three Super Bowl trophies, and has played in five of them.
The 2025 season went badly for him and the franchise. He also suffered a horrible injury that ended his season early. One NFL legend believes that the player deserves more help.
Steve Young asks Chiefs to protect Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes suffered a terrible ACL and MCL tear back in December 2025. The Chiefs quarterback suffered the non-contact injury in Week 15 of the 2025 season. He underwent surgery shortly afterward and has been working towards his recovery. There is optimism that he can return for the franchise at the start of the next season.
Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) walks on the field prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
However, the 2025 season saw the quarterback suffer heavily. He was sacked a career-high 36 times in 16 games that season, before he was injured. Hall of Fame quarterback and San Francisco 49ers legend Steve Young issued a grave warning to the Chiefs regarding support for Mahomes. He recently spoke to reporters at the American Century Championship, where he emphasized what the Chiefs need to do.
He said, “Well, number one for Patrick is protection, because he’s so good and so dynamic. And the next thing is weapons. And so, any slippage of those two is going to cause a lot of grief. And you know, if Patrick Mahomes has decent protection and some weapons, he’s going to be the best. So, figure it out. Figure it out. Make sure that he has protection.”
The Chiefs have already made big moves this offseason, in order to give Mahomes more protection. Furthermore, Young believes the franchise need to do one more thing.
Steve Young says Chiefs need run game to bolster Patrick Mahomes
Young was asked by a reporter about the Chiefs’ need for a run game this season. The 64-year-old said that could be another point of emphasis for the Chiefs. He argued that it would help Mahomes heavily, and that the franchise cannot afford to mess up his best years.
He said, “I mean, yeah, but that’s the third thing. No joke. It’s like, if he has protection, he can do it all. And we don’t want to waste here. One of the all-time great players, you don’t want to waste years. That’s not what we do.” With the addition of Kenneth Walker III via free agency from Seattle Seahawks, the franchise is moving in that direction.
Patrick Mahomes will prepare himself for the start of the 2026 NFL season, with much expectations on the Chiefs.
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