The Best and Worst Case Scenario for Patrick Mahomes

You could say Patrick Mahomes had a down year last season, yet he still took the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Since taking over the starting quarterback job in 2018, Mahomes has reached incredible heights. Two MVPs and three Super Bowl wins later, he's still one of the best when he steps on the field.

However, 2024 didn't quite go the same way. This was the first year where Mahomes threw less than 4,000 yards as a starter, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio was the worst it's been.

Still, when the game counted, he was there to finish it. Out of the Chiefs' 12 wins, 10 were decided by one score or less. When the pressure was on, Mahomes and the rest of the team played at their best, regardless of anything that happened prior.

Now heading into 2025, Mahomes' season can go one of two ways. For Fox Sports NFL Reporter Henry McKenna, there's definitely a best and worst case scenario.

Best case: Mahomes reverts to his 2020 self:

"Back in 2020, the Kansas City offense revolved around Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill," wrote McKenna. "Now, Hill is gone. And that 2020 version of Kelce is gone, too. Entering his age-36 season, the 10-time Pro Bowl tight end is slowing down. This year, the Chiefs are going to build their offense around young receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. And you’ll see some similarities between Kelce and Rice — and Worthy and Hill. That’ll give Kelce a more opportunistic role. Rookie WR Jalen Royals can take over the spot Mecole Hardman once occupied. And this offense can attack teams at all three levels with consistency."

Worst case: Mahomes repeats 2024, but ends with fewer wins:

"The left tackle was Mahomes' Achilles' heal last season," McKenna continued. "But there were plenty of other issues on this depth chart. We saw injuries and attrition eat into the offense. And after another Super Bowl appearance, the Chiefs have played a lot of football over the past five years. Rice is coming back from injury, and Kelce is breaking down. Worthy and Royals are still young. Hollywood Brown can’t stay healthy. The Chiefs threw everything they could at the left tackle problem: first-round pick Josh Simmons and free-agent acquisition Jaylon Moore. But it’s possible this offense is still a year away from finding itself again."

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