The most important thing for the Kansas City Chiefs is that they are 4-0 heading into the bye week.
Kansas City sits alone at the top in the AFC after beating its division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders. They overcame adversity to pull off the win on the road. But the job isn’t finished. In fact, their early bye may be coming at exactly the right time. Kansas City just played a game in which it lost multiple offensive weapons. Tyquan Thornton suffered a significant ankle injury after having the best game of his Chiefs career, and Rashee Rice left with a hamstring injury. The offensive line got through another game without Josh Simmons.
The defense has its own problems. The Raiders repeatedly attacked Kansas City with their tight ends, and the Chiefs struggled to adjust. Meanwhile, the offense still needs a consistent answer in short-yardage situations.
3 Ways The Chiefs Can Make the Most of Their Early Bye Week
The Chiefs aren’t in trouble, but have work to do. This bye gives Kansas City two weeks to get healthy, self-scout, and decide whether the current roster is good enough to make a deep playoff run.
Here are three things the Chiefs need to accomplish during the bye.
Players: Get Healthy and Fix the Offense’s Foundation
The priority is obvious: get healthy.
The Chiefs came into the Raiders game already dealing with injuries before losing Rice and Thornton. Rice’s injury should have him return after the bye, while Thornton will likely miss significant time. It’s the reason why the bye is so valuable.
Rice did not return to the game despite being on the sideline, which was good to see. Even if he couldn’t have returned during the game, the extra recovery time will give the Chiefs a better chance to get their top receiver back for Week 6.
Sadly, Thornton is a different story. He was finally becoming the type of weapon Kansas City hoped he would be when it signed him. Against Las Vegas, he showed how his speed could complement the running game by forcing the defense to respect the deep ball. Prayers for a speedy recovery, though. Their plan was simple: let Kenneth Walker III establish the run and then attack over the top.
Thornton was finally making that plan work. Losing him is more than replacing a receiver on the depth chart. Kansas City has to replace the speed he provided. Without a legitimate vertical threat, defenses can afford to play safeties closer to the line of scrimmage. Making life harder for Walker takes away the space the Chiefs have spent the last 4 weeks establishing with their running game.
The offensive line also needs attention during the bye. The Chiefs were already down a starter against Las Vegas, and Kingsley Suamataia’s absence created even more questions about the right side of the line. Josh Simmons could return after the bye, which provides them with their long-term starter and a look at what the best version of the unit will look like. It’s a decision that matters.
The Chiefs have finally found an explosive element in their running game with Walker. They cannot afford to let instability on the line hurt it. Walker has rushed for more than 500 yards through four games and has changed the way the entire offense operates. Protecting him is important as well.
Kansas City should use the bye to get this team healthy and give its players some much-needed rest. Walker is currently on pace for 537 carries and 2,282 rushing yards, which would be more than double his previous career high in carries. The offense is on his shoulders now, and the Chiefs need to be careful not to run their biggest offensive weapon into the ground.
Rest, relaxation, and recovery are exactly what these players need right now.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (2) is carted off the field with an apparent injury against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Coaching Staff: Self-Scout Before Opponents Find the Blueprint
Andy Reid and the coaching staff have a huge priority during this bye week. It’s the perfect time for them to take a hard look at the problems that have continued to show up. The biggest one is that the offense still needs a better answer in short-yardage situations. The Chiefs have struggled to consistently get one yard when they need it, particularly on fourth down. Mahomes’ history with knee injuries makes the hesitation to use the quarterback sneak understandable, but Kansas City cannot go through an entire season without a reliable answer.
When there is more confidence in getting a fourth-and-5 than getting a fourth-and-1, that is concerning.
NFL defenses aren’t dumb; they see that and are able to aggressively squeeze the B and C gaps. Without the threat of a vertical push from the Quarterback, they only have to worry about handoffs, which allow more vertical pushes in those gaps.
No team, including the Chiefs, has to convert every fourth-and-short. But their play calls have gotten predictable when it comes to the short-yardage situations. A change in blocking schemes, more motion, different personnel groupings, or getting Walker downhill with an advantage is simply needed.
The coaching staff also needs to address the other side of the ball. The Raiders showed that Kansas City’s defense still does not have a consistent answer for receiving tight ends. Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer combined for 21 targets and 168 receiving yards, and another tight end, Ian Thomas, scored a touchdown. The lack of adjustment from Kansas City to repeatedly allow tight ends to find space over the middle was startling. It should get the Chiefs’ attention.
Their opponents are starting to create a blueprint on how to attack this defense. What is worse is that all of the AFC contenders have talented tight ends, and this problem will only become more dangerous in the postseason. The Chiefs also need to figure out why they produced 18 pressures against Las Vegas without recording a sack. The pass rush created opportunities but did not consistently finish them.
The good news is that there are plenty of positives to work with. Andy Reid remained aggressive on fourth down, the Chiefs continued to lean on the running game, and the offense eventually made significant adjustments. After struggling early, Kansas City scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns against a Raiders defense that had not allowed a fourth-quarter point entering the game.
This bye is about fixing the areas that could eventually cost them their goal.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams (20) reacts after a defensive play against the Las Vegas Raiders during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Front Office: Decide What the Roster Still Needs
The final priority for this team is the front office. Brett Veach and the front office have an opportunity to decide which problems can be solved in-house and which ones may require an addition. Kansas City is 4-0, so there is no reason to panic. But being undefeated does not mean every weakness should be ignored.
The receiver is the obvious place to start. Rice should eventually return, but Thornton’s injury changes the offense. Kansas City now needs to determine whether the remaining receivers can consistently create separation, win third downs, and force defenses to respect the deep part of the field. That is why a potential move for another receiver should not be dismissed. Tyreek Hill is the obvious name because of his history with Kansas City. His own injury situation is more than likely the reason why it hasn’t happened yet. There could also be other options available if Veach decides the receiver room needs more help. The name isn’t the thing that matters so much as finding someone who can replace what Thornton brought to the offense.
The front office should also look at the defense. The tight-end problem is so glaring after what happened against Las Vegas. If Kansas City decides to make a defensive move, a linebacker capable of handling coverage responsibilities could potentially be more valuable than simply adding another defensive lineman. The Chiefs have gotten pressure from their defensive line. They just have not finished enough of those opportunities. Coverage is a different problem.
Again, this is not panic time but preparation. Kansas City has two weeks to look at the roster and ask a simple question: What could keep this team from winning in January?
If the answer is already on the roster, develop it. If it is not, this is the time to look for it.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Last Word
The Chiefs do not need this bye week because they are struggling. They are 4-0 but still have some problems to fix. Kansas City has already shown it can win through adversity. Now the goal is to use the bye to make sure those same problems do not become bigger problems later in the season.
Most importantly, the Chiefs have time.
They do not need to come out of the bye as a completely different football team. They just need to come out of it healthier, more prepared, and better equipped to handle the problems that could eventually stand between them and another Super Bowl run.
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