The partnership between Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill was truly something special to watch; a genuine lightning-in-a-bottle situation that powered the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense for years. It felt like the end of an era when they traded Hill to the Miami Dolphins, where he received a $120 million extension in 2022 for a haul of five draft picks. Now, considering the Chiefs’ current 2025 season, it’s fair to wonder if Andy Reid’s decision to let the “Cheetah” go was the right move, even with all five draft picks. NFL analyst Ben Solak pointed out in his report.

“The downfield passing game has opened up. After consecutive seasons with 6.2 air yards per attempt, Mahomes’ depth of target has jumped to 7.6 this season — his highest since 2020. But the juice hasn’t been worth the squeeze. Mahomes’ completion percentage on downfield passes (36.4%) is up from 2023 and 2024 but not back to Hill-era levels (43.2% from 2018 to 2021). Despite the wide receiver investment, the Chiefs haven’t rebuilt Hill in the aggregate.”

Mahomes’ incredible arm talent as a QB, that cannon and those crazy delivery angles, was a perfect match for Hill’s generational, blazing speed as a receiver. That synergy created an absolutely astonishing number of splash plays. Proving this with an instance from the 2018 season, which was also one of their best seasons for the Chiefs, Hill racked up 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 87 catches, including a completely ridiculous five touchdowns of 50 yards or more from Mahomes.

Over just a two-season period, they connected on 18 pass plays of 30 yards or more, which was the most for any quarterback-receiver duo in the league. That stat alone tells you everything. They weren’t just a good pairing; they were a historically fabulous combination that could turn any routine snap into a game-breaking score, making them the most dynamic threat in the NFL.

But now the situation has completely changed for the Chiefs in the 2025 season. Their passing offense is failing because they don’t have good wide receivers, forcing their superstar quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, to carry too much of the weight. Mahomes is clearly struggling now. In a recent loss to the Houston Texans, he had one of the worst games of his entire career, throwing 10 straight incomplete passes, suffering three interceptions, and finishing with an extremely low 19.8 passer rating.

Over his last four games, Mahomes has thrown as many interceptions (5) as touchdown passes (5). In two of those four games, his completion rate was 63% or lower, and he’s had a sub-80 passer rating five times, putting the Chiefs’ hopes of reaching the playoffs in a bleak position.

The Chiefs’ playoff hopes dim after their 20-10 loss to the Texans

The Kansas City Chiefs are in serious trouble following their 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night. With just over six minutes left, the Chiefs were down 17-10 and driving for a tying score. Their comeback hopes were crushed when, instead of punting on fourth down at their own 41-yard line, Coach Andy Reid decided to go for it. 

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an easy pass to Rashee Rice, but the receiver dropped it, turning the ball over to the Texans. Houston then added a field goal to seal the 20-10 victory, dealing a major blow to the Chiefs’ playoff chances. The star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was clearly frustrated afterward, saying, 

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“We had chances, and we didn’t execute it.” 

While the team was hit with bad luck from injuries, losing their starting offensive tackle on the very first play and having top cornerback Trent McDuffie also leave with a knee injury, these were not the primary reasons for the defeat. 

Injuries are part of the game, and the Chiefs ultimately lost because of problems that have plagued them throughout the entire season. Their ongoing issues include critical, ill-timed penalties, constant struggles with pass protection, blown coverages on defense, and, most notably, a rash of dropped passes. Against Houston alone, the Chiefs dropped at least five passes. The most painful drop came from star tight end Travis Kelce late in the game, which immediately preceded Mahomes’ third interception of the night.

Despite having a roster full of great players, arguably as talented as their Super Bowl-winning team from last year, the Chiefs have not played to their potential. The once-dominant Chiefs are now facing the very real possibility of missing the playoffs entirely.