When reporters from Kansas City caught up to legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young at the American Century Championship this week, they asked him about Patrick Mahomes. More specifically, what the Kansas City Chiefs need to do this season to return to their championship-caliber status. Young pointed to two major fixes as part of his plan.

“Well, number one for Patrick is protection, because he’s so good and so dynamic,” Young said. “And the next thing is weapons. And so, any slippage of those two is going to cause a lot of grief. And you know, [if] Patrick Mahomes has decent protection and some weapons, he’s going to be the best. So, figure it out. Figure it out. Make sure that he has protection.”

The Kansas City Chiefs already know they failed Mahomes in terms of protection last season. Jawaan Taylor (no longer with the team) and Josh Simmons went down with injuries in Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys, leaving KC grasping for answers it didn’t even have in the year before last. In 2024, Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times across 16 games. The O-line came close to matching it again last season, allowing a 16.6% pressure-to-sack percentage and 34 sacks on Pat in just 14 games before that ACL and MCL tear ended his season in Week 15.

Steve Young wants the O-line to be a priority fix, and to that effect, veteran guard Trey Smith believes the group is ready to step up to the challenge “to keep Pat healthy.” Whether that translates on the field is the question that’d be answered once the season kicks off.

Now, weapons are the trickier half of Young’s checklist. Mahomes posted a career-low 89.6 passer rating last season, and none of his receivers went beyond the 600 mark. Hollywood Brown led the receiving corps with 587 yards, but left for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Rashee Rice missed time with knee surgery, and his legal troubles have made him an unreliable option. Xavier Worthy is still working through shoulder surgery recovery. Meanwhile, 5th-round draft pick, Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen, offers depth, but remains untested in the NFL.

Travis Kelce is still the safety valve, but he’s 36. His 851 receiving yards led the team last season, but drops in critical moments kept costing the Chiefs momentum and, ultimately, games. Defensive coordinators still game plan for him, so the Chiefs also need someone else to take coverage attention away from him.

While talking to Steve Young, the interviewer suggested the need for a run game this season. Young took that suggestion and doubled down on that being his third piece of advice, .

“I mean, yeah,” Young agreed, “but that’s the third thing. No joke. It’s like, if he has protection, he can do it all. And we don’t want to waste here. One of the all-time great players, you don’t want to waste years. That’s not what we do.”

Kansas City has actually made quite the leap on that front. Kenneth Walker III, fresh off a Super Bowl win and MVP season with the Seattle Seahawks, signed a three-year deal to become Mahomes’ lead back. This move gave KC a runner who can absorb 25 carries a game while Mahomes eases his knee back into the game. The Chiefs have a developmental prospect in 5th-round RB Emmett Johnson.

Steve Young ranked the run game third for a reason. Protection and weapons will decide whether Patrick Mahomes gets to showcase his magic on the gridiron. A proven back can certainly carry a stretch of games. But Mahomes can’t carry a season built on a shaky O-Line and a receiver room still rehabbing.