Winning can mask a team's most unsightly attributes. That being the case, the Kansas City Chiefs certainly did a good job of that through the 2024 campaign, finishing the regular season 16-1.
They reached Super Bowl LIX, their third appearance in that game in as many seasons. Leading up to kick off, there was much reason to believe in an encore of the Chiefs' brilliance demonstrated over the past three seasons.
That could not have been further from the outcome on the field as the Philadelphia Eagles drubbed Kansas City 40-22. Such a loss triggered some introspection for the Chiefs.
The team has since addressed some of those needs since the onset of free agency and will continue that acquisition of talent with the 2025 NFL Draft.
But some still spot an apparent flaw from last season that remains the Chiefs' biggest concern. For ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, Kansas City's two biggest needs point right to that area.
"What I'm saying is this: when you look at Patrick Mahomes and whether or not they've let him down, the number one thing you have to do for the quarterback is to protect [him]," he said Thursday on First Take.
"Number two, what you also have to do is you got to remember, you got to get a running game," he said.
Both of these items reflect the Chiefs' need to assess their situation on the offensive line. In that loss to the Eagles, Mahomes took six sacks and his team rushed for 49 yards.
Mahomes accounted for 49 of those yards while no running back rushed for more than 10.
Now the Eagles certainly possessed one of the NFL's most dominant defensive units in recent years, but Kansas City's efforts to supplement their quarterback against that elite competition were nothing short of deplorable.
Mahomes neither had open receivers or time to find them and could not rely on another phase of his offense to provide some relief. Both passing and rushing issues call back to the offensive line.
So what have they done since the end of the season? The team did trade away Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears, but have brought on Jaylon Moore as the new left tackle and tagged star right guard Trey Smith.
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The Chiefs also hold the No. 31 pick in the first round of the draft, so another young contributor could be found there or later to add into the mix heading into offseason programming.
Kansas City will also need more reliable weapons lined up outside and in the backfield. That reality cannot go unnoticed either. But infrastructure remains the crux of their offensive woes and must be addressed over the coming months.
It appears they are on track to hitting those marks and making life easier for Mahomes next season. The quarterback has shown he can carry the load for his team, but he needs the necessary help to do so.
Solidifying their offensive line marks that first step.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 8:05 AM.