Mahomes, Kelce, and Walker are giving the Chiefs room to be imperfect

The Kansas City Chiefs moved to 3-0 on the season on Sunday with a 24-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Last week, the Chiefs eked out an overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts but still had some key issues they needed to work out. Despite a 14-point road win, that was definitely the case again this week. The Chiefs continue to have issues on special teams and defense, and even on offense, there are issues at offensive tackle and wide receiver.

So, with all those issues, how are the Chiefs still 3-0? There are three answers to that question: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Kenneth Walker.

Every team that has success in the NFL relies on its star players, but it definitely feels like KC's big three on offense is carrying the load right now. There is no downside to the trio of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Kenneth Walker playing well. That's a great thing, but it definitely feels like the Chiefs will need to get them some more consistent help if this team wants to be a serious contender come playoff time.

Patrick Mahomes is back with a vengeance

The Chiefs' success obviously starts with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Most Chiefs fans believed that Mahomes would do whatever was needed to make sure he was ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season after a knee injury ended his 2025, but even the most optimistic fans probably didn't expect Mahomes to look this good this soon.

Through the first three games, Mahomes has gone 67 of 98 (68.4%) for 812 yards (270.7 per game) and 8.3 yards per attempt, with 7 passing touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. He's also added 40 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. What's even more impressive is that he's done that with up-and-down offensive tackle play and very erratic production from his wide receivers.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing is that Mahomes hasn't just gone back to looking like he did before the injury; he looks the best he's looked in a few years. You have to go back to his MVP-winning 2022 season to find production like he's had so far in 2026. While Andy Reid has been smart about his passing attack with Josh Simmons out, if the Chiefs can get Simmons back and find some consistency from their wide receivers (more Tyquan Thornton and Cyrus Allen?), then Mahomes could just have one of his best seasons, and with Mahomes, that is a pretty high bar.

Travis Kelce has discovered the fountain of youth

While Patrick Mahomes looking great coming off a major knee injury is impressive, it isn't shocking given his track record of amazing feats in the NFL. However, I think most fans are genuinely surprised that Travis Kelce has started this season looking better than he has in several years as well. At the age of 36, I think most fans were just hopeful that Kelce could stay somewhat productive and maybe pull off a clutch playoff performance or two if KC made it that far. Instead, he looks 5 years younger and has been Kansas City's best pass-catching weapon.

Through three games, Kelce has 14 receptions for 231 yards (77 yards per game), 2 touchdowns, and a 16.5 yards-per-reception average. Kelce's career yards-per-reception average is 12.1, and his career best was 13.5 back in 2020. He's on pace for 1,309 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. You would have to go back to that same 2022 season when Mahomes won the MVP to find numbers from Kelce like that.

Time will tell if Kelce can keep up this pace at the age of 36, but he definitely is moving better and seems to be feeling great. It would still be great if the Chiefs could get a little more reliable production from other pass catchers to help keep Kelce healthy for the playoffs, but there is no questioning that Kelce is off to a fantastic start.

Kenneth Walker has revolutionized the Chiefs' offense

Kenneth Walker may only be three games into the 3-year free-agent contract that he signed with the Chiefs this offseason, but thus far, it looks like he may just be the most impactful signing of the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era. Walker has 442 total yards from scrimmage (147.3 yards per game) and 4 touchdowns. He's averaging 120 yards rushing per game and 5.5 yards per carry. He's also been breaking tackles at an absolutely insane rate.

Walker is on pace for over 2,500 total offensive yards and 22 touchdowns. Those numbers would put him up there with guys like Marshall Faulk, Chris Johnson, and Christian McCaffrey for one of the most productive seasons in terms of yards from scrimmage in NFL history. Much like with Travis Kelce, the Chiefs may want to give rookie Emmett Johnson a little more work at some point to keep Walker fresh, but he's been nothing short of elite to start his Chiefs career.

The Chiefs' big three are carrying the load

It's not a coincidence that Walker's arrival has happened at the same time as Mahomes and Kelce's revival. Having that explosive, productive weapon in the backfield means that defenses can no longer put all of their focus on stopping Mahomes and Kelce. That extra space to work that a true running back threat has created has been all that Mahomes and Kelce have needed to get back to their elite levels of production.

This offensive trio has the potential to do something truly special this season, and they are absolutely the reason the Chiefs have rebounded from their woeful 2025 season and are still undefeated after 3 games. The Chiefs still have plenty of issues to work through and things they must improve if they want to be a true Super Bowl contender this season, but fans should also take a moment to appreciate just how good this trio has been. Mahomes, Kelce, and Walker have given the Chiefs room to be imperfect and still win. While they may not be able to rely on that for a full 17 games plus the playoffs, for now, it has gotten the job done. Hopefully, next week against the Las Vegas Raiders, they get a little more help.

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