Patrick Mahomes received a boost after the Kansas City Chiefs announced Trey Smith would be returning along with star tight end Travis Kelce for at least one more season

Patrick Mahomes will be delighted to hear the Kansas City Chiefs are bouncing back from their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX.

It was reported that the Chiefs were planning to place the franchise tag on star guard Trey Smith, taking presumably one of the more sought-after free agents off the board. Smith is slated to earn $23.4 million next season on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal.

While the Eagles’ suffocating defense stifled the Chiefs’ offense, Smith was not the worst offensive line offender that night. After the dust settled in New Orleans, PFF graded the 25-year-old’s performance, and despite what the eye test showed, the advanced statistics proved otherwise.

PFF gave Smith a 49.2 mark in pass blocking and a 71.5 grade in run blocking – among other values – for an overall grade of 63.2. For context, 60 is an average grade, showing that while the Chiefs were dismantled by the Eagles, Smith did not perform as poorly as was originally thought to be the case.

With Smith tagged, that gives the Chiefs one fewer player’s status to worry about as Kansas City looks to return to the Big Game. That said, another player Mahomes will be glad to have returning is longtime star tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce is 35, and in the 2024 season, it appeared that Father Time had caught up to the star, as he posted career-lows in receiving yards and touchdowns. His age became more of a factor against the Eagles, as he only caught four receptions on six targets for 39 yards.

Patrick Mahomes received good news after the Kansas City Chiefs franchise tagged star guard Trey Smith ( 
Image:
Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
As the Chiefs awaited the 35-year-old’s decision, there were legitimate concerns that Kelce had played his final game as a member of Kansas City’s organization. However, Kelce made it clear Thursday that the Chiefs’ failure is only fueling him to be a better player in the upcoming season.

On a recent episode of ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ Kelce told ESPN host Pat McAfee that he was intended to return for another season in an attempt to win another championship. “I’m coming back for sure,” McAfee told the studio, referencing a text message sent by Kelce. “I’m gonna try and get to the best shape I’ve been this offseason, and get back to the mountain top.

“I’ve got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle. I can’t go out like that!”

For Mahomes, Kelce’s return was welcomed but not wholly unexpected for the star signal caller. In the past, Mahomes reiterated his belief that his longtime partner can continue playing football at the highest level for years to come, despite how the last two seasons have panned out for Kelce individually.

“He can play as long as he wants to,” Mahomes said. “He’s focused on the ultimate mission of being the best football player that he can be. More than anything — more than I think he wants to even do it for himself — he just loves being in the building with his teammates and being a part of that.”