Andy Reid leaves Mahomes on his own: Chiefs in crisis after a 0-2 start to 2025
Kansas City collapses and Mahomes carries all the weight
Andy Reid leaves Mahomes on his own: Chiefs in crisis after a 0-2 start to 2025
Terrible news for fans: the Kansas City Chiefs are off to a start few could have imagined. After three consecutive Super Bowl appearances -with two titles in that span- they now look like a shadow of that dominant team.
The 0-2 start to the 2025 season brings back memories of 2014, the last time they began this poorly. But the truth is, the fall didn’t begin in September -it started in February, when they collapsed in Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles. Seven months later, the hangover remains, and the blame points directly at two names: Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
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Mahomes is now an improvised superhero
Across the league, one idea keeps surfacing: Reid relies too heavily on Mahomes and his ability to improvise. As noted by Nate Taylor of ESPN, the quarterback has had to “play superhero” just to keep Kansas City competitive. The result is concerning: in just two games, the three-time Super Bowl MVP has more rushing yards than any other player on the team for the entire regular season.
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The problem is clear: every run means additional hits. In Week 1, Mahomes fell hard twice on his shoulder while trying to gain first downs. And in Week 2, he launched himself at a rookie safety from Philadelphia to gain just six yards, capping the drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown. That’s too much exposure for the franchise’s most valuable player.
The Chiefs are in check
What’s most alarming is that Mahomes isn’t improvising by choice -he has no alternatives. Against the Eagles, without Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy, the quarterback was trapped in man-to-man coverage with no open receivers. The result: a desperate and ineffective passing game.
The running game isn’t showing signs of life either. Mahomes leads the Chiefs with 123 rushing yards, even surpassing the combined production of the team’s running backs. Isiah Pacheco managed just two runs over five yards, while Kareem Hunt’s return turned out to be an illusion. Reid tried to surprise with a trick play that ended in a loss of yardage thanks to Philadelphia’s defensive line.
The risks of putting everything on Mahomes
The conclusion is clear: Kansas City has no way to move the ball other than through Mahomes. And while that might keep them competitive in the short term, it’s an unsustainable and dangerous path in the long run. Reid has said his quarterback “won’t let an opportunity slip,” but this isn’t about willpower.
It’s a structural problem: relying on Mahomes’ talent to cover offensive shortcomings could end up costing the Chiefs dearly. If Reid doesn’t find a way to balance the offense and ease the burden on his star soon, Kansas City risks seeing its dynasty collapse faster than anyone expected.
