There are no moral victories in the National Football League. I won't gloss over the Kansas City Chiefs' winless start to their 2025 campaign. Two weeks in, the team sits at 0-2 and has rightly affirmed the offseason criticism from pundits. The offense is anemic, coaching decisions have been confusing, and reliable veterans have faltered in key moments. This does not look like a team poised to make a run in January.
Sometimes, the best way to track a transformation is to identify the positives. Kansas City's 20-17 loss to the defending world champion Eagles on Sunday revealed signs of life.
Reinforcements are coming offensively: second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy will soon return to action, and Rashee Rice will complete his suspension in four weeks. The Chiefs may have found a dependable deep-threat option in Tyquan Thornton. When you can reliably take the top off a defense, it opens up space underneath. That's key for someone like Rice, who has elite run-after-catch ability.
Patrick Mahomes keeps Kansas City afloat as young playmakers emerge and key receivers near a return.
The benefit of Thornton's emergence is that he solidifies an important role the team lost with the departures of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson. He's not a foundational piece, but he appears capable of being the consistent vertical threat the Chiefs need. In two games, he has 100 receiving yards on just four receptions. He's on track to obliterate career bests in receiving yards and touchdowns. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes overshot him on a late fourth-quarter drive but recovered a few plays later when he found him on a 49-yard touchdown (their final score of the game).
On Sunday, the Chiefs' defense played with far more energy than in Week 1. That's due in part to increased snaps for young defensive players. The rookie group was led by defensive end Ashton Gillotte, who played 47% of the defensive snaps in the game. Omarr Norman-Lott made his season debut and notched an impressive takedown of Jalen Hurts to record his first NFL sack. Nohl Williams saw less action but accounted for a very important pass breakup on the boundary that prevented a chunk play for Philly receiver DeVonta Smith.
Norman-Lott and Gillotte saw increased snaps after Mike Danna left early in the game with a hip injury. That playing time clearly showed why both need more opportunities on the field. At this stage, players like Danna and Charles Omenihu don’t appear to have the explosiveness to be trusted on every down. They’ll still see the lion’s share of snaps, but adding athleticism to the rotation is a clear boost for this defense.
The best reason to believe in a Chiefs rebound has been the play of Patrick Mahomes. For the second straight game, he was the singular offensive spark for Kansas City. He has shouldered a comatose offense each week, which instills confidence that the team can make a significant turnaround once its full complement of offensive weapons returns. This version of Mahomes will be an MVP-caliber force once he has his top two receivers back in the fold.
There’s still a lot of football to play this season. If the Chiefs can stay healthy and continue giving opportunities to emerging players like Thornton, Gillotte, and Norman-Lott, they’ll weather this storm. That requires a coaching staff willing to trust these young players, but this trio can mitigate challenges by continuing to produce. Patrick Mahomes appears to be recovering a version of himself we haven’t seen in a while, and he will be the catalyst once Worthy and Rice return.
A must-win game approaches on Sunday, but if these trends continue, Kansas City will soon be in position to turn the 2025 season around.