One could hardly believe it’s the same Kansas City Chiefs who were in the Super Bowl, thrice in a row, winning two of them. This 0-2 slump of 2025 was last seen a decade ago, in 2014. However, it didn’t start this season. Call it a championship hangover if you want. But Kansas City began crumbling in Super Bowl LIX against Philly in February. It’s been more than seven months, and rejuvenation isn’t even in sight. And it all connects to two names: Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

There’s a whisper around the league: KC head coach is relying on his quarterback’s legs a bit too much. “Too often, Mahomes had to be a superhero to give the Chiefs a chance for success,” wrote Nate Taylor of ESPN in a recent piece for NFL Week 2 Takeaways. How? Well, in just two games, the three-time Super Bowl MVP has logged the most rushing yards in a regular season.

But why is it a bad thing? ‘Cause Mahomes has been taking plenty of hits already. In Week 1, he twice dropped his shoulder into defenders while scrambling for first downs. Then again, in Week 2, he drove his left shoulder through Eagles rookie safety Andrew Mukuba in order to gain six yards. And that wasn’t it. On the very next snap, he capped it off with a 13-yard touchdown run. 

For an explanation, head coach Reid said, “He’s not going to not take an opportunity if it’s given.” But is that really what’s going on? Doubtful. Let’s take Sunday’s game against Philadelphia, for instance. For the second half of the game, the Chiefs had Mahomes as a glorified game manager. Without two of the best offensive weapons, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, Mahomes had to take the responsibility of the team’s quick-pass game upon his shoulders. In many instances against Philly, he failed to find receivers open for man-to-man coverage. As a result, their passing game ‘stinks.’ 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, their rushing game is becoming more of a crisis with every game. Mahomes isn’t just their lead rusher, but his 123 rushing yards are the highest, even with everyone’s combined—something that should be the job of the starting running back. But the starter RB Isiah Pacheco had just two attempts for five or more yards.

Yet, Kansas City is insistent on having faith in him. Then there is Kareem Hunt, an eight-year veteran. Against the Eagles, Reid called for center Creed Humphrey to pull on a trap for Hunt. However, Philly’s defensive front blew up the play, which led to the Chiefs’ line being overwhelmed. They used the 1-yard loss to take a three-point lead, and the game slipped from the Chiefs’ hands. 

Since KC doesn’t have any other way to move the ball, their starting QB has to put in everything he’s got (without a care for injury risks) on the line. It might seem fine, but in the long run, it could be fatal for the Chiefs. Then, saying Mahomes “train that way” won’t work. Reid needs to take the burden off of Mahomes’ shoulder, ‘cause having your QB record the highest rushing yards in the team isn’t something to celebrate, and certainly not to brush off. 

Chiefs’ comeback hopes dim 

What’s even worse is that Mahomes’ most reliable arms on the field also failed to provide aid this time. Mahomes tried connecting with Travis Kelce near the goal line, but the catch didn’t go as planned. Instead, the ball bounced off Kelce’s hands and popped up in the air, which allowed the opposing safety Mukuba to take advantage of the situation. He jumped on the deflection and gained an easy interception. “Things here and there that we just didn’t do at a high enough level,” said the quarterback afterwards.

 This 20-17 loss not only marks the third straight loss for the first time since Mahomes took over as a starter, but also the third loss in a row against the Eagles. “Obviously, this isn’t how we wanted to start and how we’re going to respond,” said Mahomes. But he refused to back down. As tempting as it may seem to write off the Chiefs from contenders’ names, the season isn’t lost yet. “All we can do is continue to work, continue to get after it,” added the elite QB, providing a dose of motivation for the entire locker room. 

Similar sentiments were reflected by head coach Reid as well, saying, “Keep playing hard. I’ll take this one. Stick together.” Against a team as aggressive as the Eagles, Reid too decided to “stay aggressive,” which is not typically his style. Things might have been manageable if only the throw by Mahomes hadn’t been intercepted. Still, the entire season lies ahead of Kansas City; if the winds favor them and Reid brings in a few weapons, things can go back to normal.