Kareem Hunt will be another pass catcher for Patrick Mahomes to feed

Even after the signing of Sammy Watkins, and potentially more on the open market, Patrick Mahomes will still need to feed Kareem Hunt—through the air.

The offseason goal has been crystal clear, at least on the offensive side, for the Kansas City Chiefs: make Patrick Mahomes as comfortable as possible.

Last year was a significant offensive investment via the draft, bringing in not only Mahomes but other young offensive talents to grow alongside the franchise quarterback. Kareem Hunt responded with a league-leading rushing effort. Tyreek Hill blossomed when saddled with such high expectations. Travis Kelce only solidified his place among the NFL’s elite tight ends. Already, without any further additions, the Chiefs had plenty of offensive weapons.

One problem remained however: the Chiefs response during the heartbreaking playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans when Kelce was injured. Once their Pro Bowl tight end suffered a concussion during the game, unable to return, the Chiefs offense suddenly looked one dimensional. It made it easier for teams to both shade Hill on deep routes and stack the box against Hunt.

Enter Brett Veach’s biggest move as the team’s general manager to date. By hauling in the single best wide receiver available on the open market in Sammy Watkins, the Chiefs decided they’d make it impossible for teams to even zero in on a single weapon ever again—barring injuries, of course. Even more, the Chiefs are still looking for more weapons as illustrated by Kendall Wright’s recent visit. There’s also the return of Chris Conley from a season-ending injury as well.

If the Chiefs were to add another outside receiver to the mix that already includes Hill, Kelce, Watkins, Conley and other promising wideouts like Jehu Chesson and Demarcus Robinson, it almost becomes a question of too many weapons. No one is complaining, of course, since it’s a nice bounty of riches at this stage, but Hunt recently spoke up when asked about his pass-catching prowess, making it clear he also wants to get his share of passes thrown his way.

On a recent episode of Good Morning Football on the NFL Network, Hunt spoke about his rookie year and his hopes to grow as a receiver.

"“I definitely love that,” Hunt said of catching the ball. “Anytime I can get the ball I love it, especially in the open field and not having to go through the big boys in the trenches all the time, so I like getting the ball in the open space … I want to be known as a guy who can do it all. Le’Veon [Bell, Steelers RB] is a great receiver out of the backfield and route-runner, and I definitely want to show more of that.”"

Having Hunt as another option out of the backfield is going to keep defenses on their heels for sure, but it’s also curious to wonder just how many catches Hunt can really expect. Last year he caught 53 of 63 targets. Can he reasonably expect that many again? And when he asks for more, is that even possible?

If matching Bell is his goal, Hunt will have to demand plenty more passes considering that Bell caught 85 passes from Ben Roethlisberger last year—a total closer to expectations for Kelce or Hill. The Steelers also lack the number of total options boasted by the Chiefs, and that’s even before Watkins’ signing.

Just how the Chiefs will spread the wealth will be a question to watch as the season unfolds. Mahomes will find chemistry with someone, and Chiefs fans can only hope he is able to enjoy all of the weapons at his disposal for the sake of frustrating defenses all year long.