In light of the unfortunate injury to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, there are growing concerns about whether the team needs to acquire another star receiver to provide additional support for Patrick Mahomes.
Speculation has arisen around potential acquisitions, including Davante Adams or even a reunion with Tyreek Hill.
While Kansas City has struggled with their receiver depth in recent years, they have almost always found a way to overcome their perceived shortcomings.
Of course, Mahomes has a whole lot to do with that … However, for the first time in a long time, some are pointing the blame finger at the All-World quarterback.
ESPN NFL analyst Dominique Foxworth suggests that Mahomes himself might be contributing to the offensive struggles.
During an ESPN segment discussing Adams’s desire to leave the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chiefs as a possible landing spot, Foxworth argued that the team’s issues extend beyond just the available weapons.
Surprisingly, he indicated that Mahomes could also be part of the problem.
“I think the Chiefs offensive problems are more than a weapons issue,” Foxworth said. “It’s not just the left tackle, it’s also the quarterback.
“Maybe it’s a result of the left tackle but the quarterback is not comfortable in the pocket and he’s not playing well. The one big play they had to Worthy, they had 7 people in on protection, and it was a great throw.
“Patrick Mahomes did magical Mahomes things in that game also, but he’s very uncomfortable right now playing football, and it doesn’t look great. I don’t think anyone cares about that because we all believe he’s going to be fine.”
As Foxworth said, despite the concerns over Mahomes, he still thinks he’s going to be fine. However, his overall observation was interesting nonetheless.
The Chiefs are 4-0 this season, yet they rank 14th in yards per game, 11th in passing yards per game, and 14th in points per game.
While Foxworth attributes some of the issues to Mahomes, he emphasizes that these problems stem largely from subpar offensive line play and a predictable running game, especially with running back Isiah Pacheco currently sidelined.
“Right now, one of the misunderstandings of the Chiefs is that the issue is the weapons,” Foxworth added. “I think the protection is a bigger issue than the lack of weapons. I think getting Davante does not solve the protection problem.”
For the season, Mahomes has passed for 904 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
All that matters is the Chiefs are undefeated and remain in good shape for their potential three-peat. However, we all know those numbers aren’t exactly Mahomes-like.
Regardless, Mahomes and the Chiefs will look to continue their winning ways when they host the New Orleans Saints in a Monday Night Football showdown.
As for Foxworth, what are your thoughts on his comments? … Do you agree that Mahomes deserves more blame than most people realize?
Now, the million-dollar question: Will the Chiefs actually pull off the historic three-peat???