Chiefs new weapons allow Patrick Mahomes to develop new strengths

The past four years have been nothing short of incredible for the Kansas City Chiefs. Since Patrick Mahomes’ emergence as QB1 in Kansas City, there has been a shift in the trajectory of the franchise greater than any other since Lamar Hunt signed Len Dawson in 1962.

There are plenty of questions yet to be answered in regards to the 2022 campaign, as the team will look entirely different from what it has since we’ve gotten comfortable with having Mahomes around. However, no matter what lies ahead, there is one thing we can bank on: the immeasurable awesomeness of our quarterback to remain on display.

In years past, a major key to Mahomes’ greatness has been his ability to improvise and make those memorable—often unlikely—connections with Tyreek Hill on broken plays that turned into home runs. Hill’s departure led to the development of a far more diversified receiving corps which offers potential for a key development in Mahomes’ game. New and varietal skillsets will allow Andy Reid’s route tree to pinpoint individual player strengths across the field and will allow for Mahomes to develop some more traditional quarterback attributes.

The Kansas City Chiefs have balanced their offense this offseason, which should allow Patrick Mahomes to grow in new ways in 2022.

By no means does that mean suppressing the player and his ability to make magic. Rather, it will allow for Mahomes to take greater advantage of the stellar offensive line that he plays behind and to display his arm talent from the pocket. The intangible playmaking ability that he possesses will always be up his sleeve, and there is certainly no desire to take that ace away. However, heightened decision-making and more frequent on-platform throws will allow for greater diversification in Reid’s playbook.

This potential is what makes the new-look offense so exciting for the Kingdom—and so scary for the opposition. The high octane nature of the offense—constantly in the limelight—over the past four seasons proved to be stoppable in 2021. The league as a whole made its adjustment to the Chiefs. In the upcoming season, the strengths of the depth chart will be highlighted in such a way that has not yet been seen in the Mahomes era. That will not only be exciting for Chiefs fans, but it offers the offense the opportunity to re-establish itself, forcing the rest of the league to play catch-up once again.

Additionally, the running back room and the competition which lies within it—whether it produces a singular bell-cow back or a committee—will provide a balance for the offense that hasn’t been present in years. Keeping defenses on their toes is another key to maximizing what Mahomes can do in 2022, and this team is built to do just that.

There may be fewer fireworks in the form of jaw-dropping plays, but the methodical scheme that the Chiefs will deploy in the upcoming year will lead to plenty of production at Arrowhead Stadium as the scoring will continue on in the same way that fans have seen in the last four years.