The reason for the Kansas City Chiefs' downfall in 2025 could be several things.
Injuries on both sides of the ball and physical and mental fatigue from consistently long playoff trips.
But there might be one more that could have been an underrated reason the Chiefs were stopped in their tracks.
Sack numbers.
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Patrick Mahomes was sacked 34 times (12th most) in 14 games. Only three more, and Patrick would have been sacked the most in his career.
On the surface, that doesn't seem like a big deal, but if we dive into the numbers, we see exactly how bad Patrick's protection was.
Seven times he was sacked three or more times. That means in half of his games in 2025, Mahomes was running for his life. Not to mention that in seven of his last eight games, he was sacked at least three times.
We know that success for the quarterback position relies on how long he has to throw, and it is clear that Mahomes was running for his life far too often.
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Is offensive line an urgent priority this offseason?
It has to be up there, right?
Mahomes can't be sacked that many times and be expected to keep his team afloat.
So, while there are other pressing needs the Chiefs have to address, the offensive line can't be forgotten.
Mahomes was on track to be the fourth-most-sacked quarterback in football before his knee injury.
That has to change in 2026; otherwise, it might be another year of no playoffs for Kansas City.
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