Arrowheadlines: Chiefs not expected to be NFL’s top team by 2026

Chiefs headlines for Thursday, July 20

The latest

NFL season is 50 days away: Here are 50 under-the-radar players who could shape the 2023 season | CBS Sports

Offensive tackle

18. Donovan Smith (OT), Chiefs: Needing to replace both tackles this offseason, the Chiefs spent big on right tackle Jawaan Taylor and opted for a one-year deal with Smith to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blindside. Smith missed a career-high four games last year and posted his worst “beat percentage” since the stat began in 2017, but he has generally been rock-solid throughout his career.

‘Top 100 Players’: Who is the best of the best? Ranking all nine No. 1s in series history | NFL.com

3 – Patrick Mahomes

No. 1 in: 2021

How’s this for efficiency? In five seasons as a starting quarterback, Mahomes has reached five AFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls, winning two. In the Super Bowl era, he ranks first among qualified quarterbacks in winning percentage (.800), passing yards per game (303.0), passing touchdowns per game (2.4) and passer rating (105.7). He’s a two time regular-season MVP and a two-time Super Bowl MVP. And on a week-to-week basis, no one delivers more WOW plays than No. 15. Mahomes is pure magic, must-see TV every time he takes the field.

Did I mention he’s still just 27 years old?

Mahomes could wind up at the top of this list. That’s not hyperbole. Mahomes could wind up at the top of ALL lists.

Over/Under Win Predictions for Every NFL Team in 2023 | Bleacher Report

Kansas City Chiefs (O/U 11.5): Over with 12 projected wins

The Chiefs’ three losses came by a combined 10 points last year, but they’ve undergone some big offensive changes and the schedule is tough for a team that will have a target on its back in a tough division and conference.

Ranking NFL’s 9 Best Route Runners Entering 2023 | The 33rd Team

3. Travis Kelce, Kansas Chiefs

Most players can give a head fake or a shoulder roll to carry out a fake. Travis Kelce can turn his entire body. No one is more deceptive from the hips up, particularly in the shoulders, which Kelce masterfully rolls to influence defenders on a variety of routes. He’s so lethal here that he can make himself look like one zone defender’s responsibility when, in fact, his route is attacking another zone defender.

Simply put: Kelce can cover a lot of ground in the misdirection parts of his routes and make himself look like he’s about to cover even more. The only other tight end who has this trait is Mark Andrews, and it’s to a much smaller degree. Andrews is great at rolling his cuts to distort zone defenders’ responsibilities when executing 15-plus-yard routes (mainly crossers). Kelce can do it on any route that is over two yards.

2023 NFL Future Power Rankings: Projections for all 32 teams | ESPN

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Overall score: 93.4

Reason for hope: ”Patrick Mahomes” could stand as a simple yet comprehensive two-word reason for optimism. He’s signed through 2031, and as long as he’s in Kansas City, the Chiefs should be competing for titles. But the fact that so many rookies played key roles in last season’s Super Bowl run shows there’s even more reason to be bullish on the Chiefs’ future. The coaching staff and front office have proven they can build around the generational quarterback to keep competing at a high level. — Graziano

Reason for concern: Tight end Travis Kelce will be 34 years old in October. Since 2018, he is second in the league in receptions (507), third in receiving yards (6,444) and fourth in receiving TDs (47). While Mahomes is one of the best QBs we have seen, life after Kelce would be starting to keep me awake at night if I were GM Brett Veach. The Chiefs do not have any offensive skill position players on the roster who are ready to handle that kind of responsibility. — Riddick

Stat to know: The Chiefs’ biggest advantage is Mahomes, and they lean into it. On early downs when the game was in question (win probability between 15% and 85%) last season, the Chiefs ran designed pass plays 67% of the time — most in the league. That’s exactly where they should rank, given who is throwing those passes for them. — Walder

Around the NFL

Seahawks unveil 1990s-inspired throwback uniforms | NFL.com

It will be the first time Seattle will sport the blue and silver threads since 2001, when the franchise was still in the AFC.

The initial sight of Seahawks throwbacks evokes the image of Steve Largent’s No. 80 jersey streaking down the sidelines with the white numbers popping on the strikingly blue jerseys, and the glare reflecting off the silver helmets brings back memories of the old Kingdome stadium lights.

Denzel Mims to be waived if Jets can’t trade WR, source confirms | ESPN

Wide receiver Denzel Mims, a second-round selection in 2020 who never gained traction with the Jets’ current coaching staff, was informed that he will be waived, a source confirmed Wednesday to ESPN.

The Jets are trying to trade Mims, who requested a trade one year ago but will be placed on waivers if New York is unable to reach a deal with another team. The Jets’ plan to waive Mims was first reported by the New York Post.

Mims was excused from training camp and didn’t report with the rest of the team. The move came as no surprise, as Mims failed to establish a consistent role and had just 42 catches for 676 yards while failing to score a touchdown in three seasons.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs’ Andy Reid trusted Patrick Mahomes to do ‘Quarterback’ right

Even with all the trust the team and Reid have in Mahomes, Ted Crews — the team’s executive vice president of communications — had the final say on what made it into the show.

“Ted had probably the biggest part in all of having to go through every inch of it,” revealed Reid on Tuesday. “Listen, there are things you don’t want out there — I mean the best you possibly can… there are some things you like to keep in-house — [like] the particular way we teach things — and so that’s what we tried to do with that, to a point. [But] you know, we shared a few things, too.”

Reid didn’t say whether he liked the show — or even acknowledge that he has watched it — but still gave it a positive review based on a trusted source.

“You know my wife watched it,” he said, “so it sounds like it’s a pretty good show — and I’m happy. It’s good for the NFL. It’s great for people to know what the quarterbacks go through.”

Mahomes said he was proud of the finished product.

“They did it the right way,” he told reporters. “I mean, [you] saw the raw emotion of playing football. You saw what it was like to be a quarterback — but also be a husband and father and how to balance that time. You saw it from three different perspectives. I thought it was a great way to do that.”

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