Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Patrick Mahomes is in his tenth season in the NFL and his ninth season as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback. In those nine seasons, he has established himself as one of the all-time great quarterbacks. Only Tom Brady can match his results over his first nine seasons.
At this point, those achievements are well known. He has five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl wins and has won a couple of MVPs. Mahomes isn't perfect, but he's proven himself to be a truly special talent. Last season, those gifts were wasted on a lost season, and despite KC's 5-1 record, that could happen again this season if general manager Brett Veach doesn't get him some help.
The trade deadline is approaching, and Patrick Mahomes needs help
The NFL's trade deadline is now about two weeks away, and the Chiefs should absolutely be feeling the pressure to make a significant move. It is seen as an almost universal truth that the two most essential position groups that a team must fill in order for its quarterback to have success are the offensive line and wide receiver groups. If either of those two groups struggles, it is hard for even an elite quarterback to thrive. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, neither of those groups is even close to reliable right now.
Patrick Mahomes can make magic happen without a stacked offense around him. KC fans have seen that time and again. However, the current combination of offensive tackles and wide receivers is not only holding Mahomes back, but it could also get him seriously injured again this season if Brett Veach can't find a way to get him some help.
Injuries have exposed the Chiefs' offensive tackle problems
To be fair to Brett Veach, the Chiefs would be in better shape than they currently are if Tyquan Thornton hadn't gotten injured and Josh Simmons weren't unavailable due to whatever combination of back injury and personal issues you choose to believe in. Thornton was KC's field stretcher who could take the top off a defense and force safeties to respect the deep ball. Simmons was the athletic pass protector who could hold up on an island against top pass rushers.
While the Chiefs are fortunate that undrafted Kahlil Benson has done a respectable job filling in for Simmons, he's not a high-level pass protector (at least not yet). He deserves all the praise in the world for stepping into the starting left tackle position as an undrafted rookie who played right tackle in college, but the Chiefs have still had to scheme around the fact that they don't want him to have to take on top pass rushers one-on-one on an island very often.
On the right side, Jaylon Moore was a better run blocker than pass protector, but he was also doing an adequate job before missing time with a concussion. His replacement, Joshua Ezeudu, had major issues against the Seahawks on Sunday and simply couldn't be trusted to hold up in pass protection. You can make excuses based on injuries, but the bottom line is that Brett Veach didn't do enough at offensive tackle this offseason, and if Kahlil Benson hadn't fallen into their laps, their situation would be flat-out hopeless without Josh Simmons.
The Chiefs still lack a reliable receiving corps
At wide receiver, the Chiefs continue to struggle to find players who can consistently be counted on to run the correct routes, create separation, and catch the football. Thornton was starting to establish himself as the best of the bunch, but with him likely out for most, if not all, of this season, they have to look elsewhere. Rashee Rice will help, but at this point, he's proven he's more of a yards-after-catch threat that the Chiefs have to scheme up short passes for, as opposed to a true No. 1 receiver who runs a full route tree and creates his own opportunities.
Xavier Worthy just isn't that guy either. He hasn't found a way to translate his 40 time into meaningful NFL production with pads on. At this point, he looks more like a WR3 or WR4 who can make a few plays here and there. Cyrus Allen looked like a possible breakout in training camp and the preseason, but through their first six games, the Chiefs just haven't trusted him to play many snaps. Is this anti-rookie bias? Does he not know the routes/playbook? He seems to have some of the tools KC desperately needs at wideout, but they still don't trust him. Hopefully, that changes soon.
Brett Veach needs to make an aggressive move before the deadline
On Monday, Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee that the Chiefs were calling around about wide receivers, but that he wasn't sure if they'd be able to get a deal done or not. Brett Veach needs to find a way to make that happen. Trading for another WR3 or WR4 isn't good enough. They need to make an aggressive move and go get a true starting talent who can immediately help Patrick Mahomes and this offense. Veach's track record with his late first-round picks has been pretty rough, so trading their first-rounder next year for a true top receiver would absolutely be a worthwhile investment. A top offensive tackle would be, too, but those might be even harder to trade for than a wide receiver.
The bottom line is that Patrick Mahomes can't keep going out there with bad offensive tackles and one of the weakest wide receiver groups in the NFL. Kenneth Walker has been a huge addition to this offense, but everyone saw what a good defense can do to the Chiefs if it can slow Walker down and force the Chiefs to throw the ball. The AFC is wide open this year, and the Chiefs, despite their deficiencies, still have as good a chance as anyone to make another Super Bowl this season, but Brett Veach needs to make a move before the deadline in order to make that happen.
Patrick Mahomes is too special a player to waste another season of his prime. The Chiefs are still in position to compete, but he needs more help. If Veach can make a big move and give Mahomes either better protection or another real receiving weapon, that, paired with Kenneth Walker and an above-average defense, could be enough to get the job done. After all, we've seen Mahomes win Super Bowls with flawed rosters before, but currently, this offense is a little too flawed. Hopefully, by the time the November 10 trade deadline arrives, that is no longer the case.