The locker room was quiet after the confetti fell in someone else’s colors. Not angry, not chaotic—just heavy. Patrick Mahomes sat with tape still wrapped around his wrists, eyes locked on the floor, as trainers buzzed around him, packing gear for a trip that ended one flight too short. He’d made magic out of mismatched receivers and collapsing pockets all season. But this time, there was no escape act. No late-game miracle. Just the weight of a dynasty slowing under its own expectations.

Let’s get real: the 2024 season was messy for Kansas City. Rashee Rice’s injury in the preseason—caused in part by a collision with Mahomes—thinned out an already unstable receiving corps. Hollywood Brown barely saw the field. Travis Kelce wasn’t himself. And the offensive line? They couldn’t keep Mahomes clean, especially in the Super Bowl, where the Chiefs didn’t even put points on the board until the 43rd minute. For a team chasing a three-peat, it felt less like a stumble and more like the end of an era. But Andy Reid didn’t sit still.

This offseason has been a full-course correction. Joe Thuney’s departure opened a hole on the left side, but the Chiefs moved quickly, adding Jaylon Moore from San Francisco and Tremayne Anchrum from Houston. Rashee Rice is expected to return. Hollywood Brown is healthy again. Travis Kelce didn’t retire—and his fire to silence doubters might be stronger than ever. The offense also gets second-year speedster Xavier Worthy and rookie Jalen Royals, the latter of whom Kansas City snagged in the fourth round. The arsenal is stacked. The excuses? Gone. And that’s why the pressure on Patrick Mahomes is different this time.

Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame didn’t mince words during an appearance on KC Sports Network. “I think there is a lot of pressure on him,” he said. “I get the whole ‘the line sucked’ and ‘they didn’t play good receivers,’ but… he was not good by his standards.” Mahomes, for all his brilliance, didn’t play like a three-time Super Bowl MVP down the stretch. Now, with the problems fixed and the narrative reset, the spotlight only gets harsher. There’s no more underdog angle to lean on.

Moreover, even Travis Kelce is expected to dominate the arrivals in his comeback. Everyone thought he’s going to hang up his cleats, but he didn’t. He’s coming back! With added responsibility to perform this year, nothing less than Super Bowl will work. Well, Verderame also shared the same sentiment and added, “You are getting (Rashee) Rice back were these in his second year. You are getting Hollywood back. They revamped the entire left side of the line. They added running backs. He’s gotta be great.”

Further fanning the fire, Chase Daniel—former Chiefs QB turned analyst—shared a raw perspective on FS1’s The Facility. In his eyes, Mahomes isn’t just the league’s most dangerous quarterback. He’s the standard that breaks even the best of his rivals. And no one knows that pain better than Josh Allen.

Ex-NFLer makes huge Patrick Mahomes claim

There’s dominance. There’s greatness. And then there’s whatever Josh Allen has been doing in Buffalo since 2018. Six playoff berths. Five straight division crowns. Seven postseason wins. A league MVP. Multiple Pro Bowls and All-Pro nods. A franchise reborn. Buffalo was wandering for decades, Allen made them believers again. But here’s the brutal truth, he hasn’t touched the Super Bowl. Not once. Because every time he climbs, one man is already standing at the top of the mountain. Patrick Mahomes!

It’s not that Allen isn’t good enough. It’s that Mahomes might be untouchable. And Chase Daniel nailed it. On FS1’s The Facility, he said Mahomes isn’t Allen’s only obstacle, he’s his own as well. Because how do you prepare for someone who plays with cheat-code efficiency in January? How do you stay ahead of a guy who’s already seen the ending and knows it ends with him? And the worst part? Mahomes respects Allen. After the AFC title game this year, he hugged him and said, “I’m proud of you, brother. Hell of a year.” Allen, tight-lipped, just said, “Go get another one.”

Mahomes isn’t just winning games. He’s taking something personal from Allen every time. Legacy. Faith. Destiny. And unless something shifts, Allen may go down in history, not as the guy who was good enough to be a generational talent. But as the guy who just couldn’t win.