‘It Starts With Me’: Inside Patrick Mahomes’ Plan to Unleash Chiefs’ Offense

Last year, the NFL didn't fear the arm of the world's most dynamic passer.

There was a perfect example of why in Super Bowl LIX — one throw Patrick Mahomes chose not to make. It's a throw that — had he gotten the most out of the play — might've been a north star for the 2025 season. Instead, it's a microcosm of what went wrong for the Chiefs in 2024. And what they desperately need to change this season.

On Kansas City's second drive of the game, after the Eagles scored their first touchdown, Mahomes had Xavier Worthy open downfield. Near the left sideline, Worthy had a one-on-one matchup with the cornerback. When Mahomes considered throwing the football, Worthy was even with the corner, which meant that he was leavin'. 

It was an opportunity for an explosive play. Instead, Mahomes holstered the ball and picked up five yards on a short throw to JuJu Smith-Schuster. The drive went three-and-out.

That play was emblematic of how Kansas City's offense has devolved in recent years. The Chiefs once boasted the most intimidating downfield passing attack in the NFL. But on that play in the Super Bowl, Mahomes looked intimidated — afraid to take advantage of a winnable situation.

So it should surprise no one that Mahomes has a clear sense of where he wants to improve this year.

"I have to be better at throwing the ball down the field. Obviously, we weren’t good enough there," Mahomes said after the Chiefs' first training camp practice. "If teams are going to challenge us at the line of scrimmage, if teams are going to challenge us to throw the ball deep, we have to show that we can do that. If we can do that — it starts with me and giving guys a chance — I think it is really going to open up the offense and make us a better team in general."

The Eagles did, in fact, encourage the Chiefs to take chances in the deep game. And Mahomes either took the wrong chances — with two interceptions — or he took the right chances at a point in the game when it no longer mattered. Worthy, after all, finished the Super Bowl with eight catches, 157 yards and two touchdowns. The second touchdown, which came on a 50-yard bomb, came despite a two-high safety look designed to contain big plays.

Despite that disadvantageous situation, Mahomes took the risk and gave Worthy an opportunity to make a big play. (Because it really couldn't get much worse for the Chiefs, who were down 40-14 at the time.) Mahomes hasn't indicated that he thinks about the throw he didn't make in the first quarter. But that second touchdown? It's still on his mind.

"[Worthy is] not just fast, he can make plays," Mahomes said in May. "You saw that with the contested catches he made last season. … Even the last catch he had in the Super Bowl. He's someone who will go up and get the football. My job is to give him more opportunities. Even when it's one-on-one and he's running with somebody, throw the ball up there and let him make the play."

On the very first play of team drills at training camp, that's where Mahomes went with the ball. Worthy and Mahomes connected for a big play in the deep part of the field. After practice, Mahomes said he's intent on challenging Kansas City's cornerbacks this summer, from Trent McDuffie to Jaylen Watson to, when healthy, Kristian Fulton.

"The mindset is getting back to throwing the ball down the field, and if we can do that, it’ll open up the rest of the offense," Mahomes said.

If it sounds a bit familiar, that's because it is. This was the Chiefs' goal last year, too. They signed Hollywood Brown, one of the fastest receivers in the NFL. They drafted Worthy, the fastest receiver ever at the NFL Combine. Yet their downfield passing got worse. And it wasn't like teams were gearing up their defenses to stop Kansas City's deep threats.

There was a time when teams bottled up the Chiefs with quarters defense — or any coverage designed to prevent big plays. Mahomes & Co. adapted, showing a willingness to run the football and attack the short areas of the field. The QB demonstrated some of the most disciplined football of his career during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

But in 2024, things began to shift. Defenses weren't afraid of Mahomes' downfield throwing. The Chiefs saw an unusual amount of single-high safety looks, the eighth most in the NFL at 56.9% of snaps. Those single-high looks create opportunities for Mahomes and his speedy receivers, but the Chiefs didn't attack what should've been a more-open-than-normal deep area of the field. Their 68 explosive passes (16-plus yards) were tied for 28th in the NFL, per FOX Sports research. They were 27th in passing plays of 20 yards or more. 

There were a number of reasons for Mahomes' hesitance. 

First, the Chiefs had issues along the offensive line, particularly at left tackle. The good news is that the team drafted Josh Simmons in Round 1 and signed veteran Jaylon Moore in free agency. 

The second issue was the knee injury that ended Rashee Rice's season in Week 4. He was Kansas City's clear-cut WR1 and the top option in the passing offense before the injury. There's mostly bad news there for 2025, because though Rice is back from injury, he'll likely serve a suspension for his role in a car crash that led to a jail sentence. 

And finally, last year, Travis Kelce didn't look like the player he used to be. Age is starting to become an issue for the 10-time Pro Bowler, who turns 36 in October. This offseason, he lost weight and focused on conditioning, which has him optimistic about a bounce-back year. But it's anyone's guess whether he can actually find the form he once had.

It's strange to think that defenses are daring Mahomes to attack them. But that's what we saw for the majority of 2024. So in 2025, it's about surrounding talent. It's about mindset. It's about scheme. It's about a great combination of things. But the Chiefs are yet again committed to solving their problem. 

Last year, the NFL didn't fear Mahomes' arm.

This year, Mahomes has terrifying plans.

Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna. 

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