The Kansas City Chiefs offense will have a different look in 2022. And quarterback Patrick Mahomes may be called on even more this upcoming season.
Was it a case of trying to do too much this past season? Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs won a sixth straight AFC West title and hosted the conference title game for the fourth consecutive year.
But Andy Reid’s club fell short of going back to the Super Bowl for a third straight time.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put up big numbers…again. He threw for 4,839 yards and 37 touchdowns and ran for two scores. But he also served up a career-high 13 interceptions and committed a personal-high 17 turnovers.
Now he and the Chiefs must adjust to life without explosive playmaker Tyreek Hill, who was dealt to the Miami Dolphins this offseason.
Over the past four seasons, with Mahomes as the primary starting quarterback, Hill rolled up 343 receptions for 4,854 yards and 43 scores in 60 regular-season contests.
Throw in 393 yards on the ground and three touchdowns and that’s a combined 5,247 yards from scrimmage and 46 TDs. In 2021 alone, he caught 111 passes for 1,239 yards and nine scores.
So just how do you replace a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro?
"It’s going to be everybody,” explained Mahomes recently (via Nate Taylor of The Athletic). “Travis (Kelce) is still going to get a lot of completions, a lot of yards, but I think the whole receiving room is going to have big days. That can be something we can use to our advantage."
Along with Hill, fellow wide receivers Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle left via free agency and signed with the Raiders and Bears, respectively.
The Chiefs had six players catch at least 25 passes in 2021 and four are gone – the aforementioned three wideouts and running back Darrel Williams.
The new targets include wide receivers WR Juju Smith-Schuster (Steelers) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Packers), former Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones, and rookie receivers Skyy Moore (Western Michigan) and Justyn Ross – the latter an undrafted prospect from Clemson University.
Of course, the key here is Mahomes and just how long it takes to get on the same page with all the new faces. More importantly, the four-time Pro Bowler must exercise a bit more patience to avoid the uncharacteristic mistakes that plagued Reid’s club in 2021.