Three runs of 20+ yards—that’s what quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ offense produced on the ground across all of 2025. Out of those three, only one came from a running back. For the team that once redefined NFL offense, it’s a damning stat. But the real blow is that the dynasty built this trap itself.

When the Kansas City Chiefs sent star receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami in 2022, they triggered more than a roster move. NFL coordinators recognized the vertical void Hill left and began flooring defenses with two-high safety shells, conceding yards underneath and daring Mahomes to beat them deep.

“I think [Tyreek Hill] was a really key player in that offense, was a really key contributor to changing the game,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah noted recently. “I really think because of how explosive and dynamic that Chiefs team was, you saw this shell coverage kind of take over the league. Two-high looks, willing to concede some yards underneath in the passing game and even in the running game, and just we’re not going to let you throw the ball over our heads, we’re not going to give up explosive plays.”

Without a counterweight, Kansas City defaulted to quick, predictable throws, and the damage shows in the stats. Isiah Pacheco averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in 2025. Just 118 attempts, 462 yards, and one touchdown, with a longest run of a mere 16 yards. The Chiefs couldn’t punish anyone for playing soft.

“But I always thought that, with the looks that they see, if you had a dynamic back who not only can run the ball and make you pay for those looks, but someone with the safeties and everybody so deep, if you had one-on-one routes, like the best matchup in football would be Jeremiyah Love against a linebacker,” Jeremiah added. “You get a chance to get explosive without having to throw the ball down the field.”

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Jeremiah’s fix for KC comes in the form of Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. Love is slotted to Kansas City at No. 9 overall in Jeremiah’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft 2.0. If geared up properly, Love could become the elite dual-threat back that pulls safeties down, cracks those shells, and reclaims the explosive dimension KC lost when Hill left.

“That offense in Kansas City has been everything quick underneath because of the looks they’re getting, but they haven’t been able to make people pay for those looks,” concludes Jeremiah. “And I think this is an opportunity as a runner and as a receiver to really, really make some teams pay for how they play Kansas City.”

And Love has the hardware to back up this promised upside as well. In 2025 alone, Love rushed for 1,372 yards and hauled in 18 touchdowns. Add 280 yards on the air to that with 3 more scores, and the dual-threat terror for NFL defenses writes itself in Kansas City.

Jeremiyah Love could remake KC’s offense from the ground up if the front office can afford it. But there’s one more problem KC has to battle that it has created for itself. This particular headache showed up on a spreadsheet, and Mahomes has already helped win it.

Patrick Mahomes picks up the tab again

For the fourth straight time, Mahomes restructured his deal, converting $54.45 million of his 2026 salary into a signing bonus. With this latest move, his cap hit falls from a staggering $78.2 million to a much more manageable $34.65 million. What’s more, this unlocks $43.56 million in relief. For a team that was almost $55 million over the base cap (dead last in the NFL), that’s big.

Last March, combined restructures from Patrick Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones freed up $49.4 million. This, in turn, gave GM Brett Veach room to sign Jaylon Moore and Kristian Fulton. But the math is now getting rather complicated for Kansas City down the line.

“Mahomes’ salary cap number in each of the next four seasons will now rise by $10.89 million per year,” explained Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Over the Cap. “His cap number for 2027 will now be over $85 million.”

But that’s a problem for next year. For now, even post-restructure, the Chiefs sit roughly $11 million over the cap. Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco are among the expected casualties of the cap management KC undoubtedly still has to do.

The plan, however, seems clear now. Draft Jeremiyah Love in the first round, move the underperformers on. Follow these steps, and Kansas City suddenly has a credible blueprint to build around in 2026. But the cap hits will keep climbing. And the championship window that three Lombardi trophies helped build won’t stay open forever on promises.

For the dynasty to keep pushing, Veach must nail both the draft board and the balance sheet simultaneously. The Chiefs had already built something rare. Now comes the harder part: keeping it whole.