Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks to media after training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Why Chiefs Should Feel Encouraged Moving Forward

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs have started out the year with two tough losses, but that doesn't mean there aren't any positives from their horrendous start. Despite their offensive woes, it's clearer than ever that Patrick Mahomes means so much to this team.

He's the team's rushing leader at the moment, which isn't a good thing, but it shows that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get a win. Outside of him, the only player on offense who's been a bright spot has been their first-round pick, Josh Simmons.

Week 2 All-Rookie Team

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Jim Wyman is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he published an article going over some rookie standouts of the second week of the NFL season. Simmons is the only Chiefs player to make it on the list, and he's been looking good to start his career.

"Simmons fell to the 31st pick in the draft over injury concerns, but based on his performance against a dominant Eagles defensive line, the Chiefs may have found a gem. While he struggled with a 49.4 PFF run-blocking grade, Simmons kept Patrick Mahomes clean all game with an PFF 87.8 pass-blocking grade, only getting beaten once on 39 such snaps", said Wyman.

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Simmons is the type of player the Chiefs needed desperately. They needed to improve their offensive line, and while it has been improved to start the 2025 season, it's clear that there are still problems they need to solve.

Jawaan Taylor is still racking up personal fouls, and I can't tell if this is due to how great the defenses they've faced or their offensive line not holding up, but Mahomes hasn't looked like himself. A lot of that can be attributed to his depleted receiver room, but he's also thrown balls over wide-open receivers.

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While some may believe that the Chiefs won't make the playoffs due to their slow start, I think they'll be fine, and Simmons will play a huge part in that. Their next game is against the New York Giants, whose defensive line is the best part of their defense.

The Chiefs should feel great about themselves that they have a cornerstone offensive line guarding Mahome's left side for the foreseeable future. His health is the biggest question mark, but he's looked ready for the NFL so far.

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This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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