Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will not qualify for the playoffs in 2025, analyst declares

Jason McIntyre doesn't believe the Chiefs have done enough to help Patrick Mahomes reach post season in 2025.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will not qualify for the playoffs in 2025, analyst declares

Patrick Mahomes and Jason McIntyre (Image via IMAGO)

Every year, like clockwork, a segment of football analysts targets Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and declares that they will not qualify for the playoffs. Jason McIntyre waved the red flag against the AFC West side based on just their off-season dealings.

During Friday’s edition of FS1’s The Herd, McIntyre left no stone unturned to get under the Chiefs Kingdom’s skin. He called out general manager Brett Veach and Andy Reid for the choppy business in the last few weeks, claiming they failed to improve the roster after experienced players such as Joe Thuney’s departure.

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I’m making the call here. It’s mid-April, before the draft. I don’t think the Kansas City Chiefs are a playoff team next year.

Jason McIntyre said

Mahomes’ target is taking the Chiefs back to post-season football for the tenth consecutive year. However, the absence of a quality guard to protect the 3x NFL MVP is a massive cause for concern.

The offensive line is a train wreck… They traded Joe Thuney, who is guard, who they moved outside. Your biggest signing was Jaylon Moore. Who? A fifth-rounder out of Western Michigan who was a backup in San Francisco… He had five starts last season and that’s it. He’s gonna be the new left tackle? This is how the Chiefs are so desperate.

Jason McIntyre added

After trading Thuney to the Chicago Bears, the Chiefs signed Moore to a two-year deal.

Aging players may hinder Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs’ playoff chances

Mahomes recently welcomed his third child and is set to enter his 30s. He may still be on the younger side, but not all the players around him. McIntyre expects fatigue to set in.

[When] you look at the last three years, Kansas City has played 10 playoff games. That’s more than half another season. We see this in the NBA all the time. When you make a run to the finals two, three years in a row, that following year, you’re drained…It’s very difficult to keep that sustainability going.

Jason McIntyre said
Analyst says Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will not qualify for the playoffs in 2025
Patrick Mahomes (Image via IMAGO)

He singled out star tight end Travis Kelce, who will be 35 in October and nearly quit after the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl in February. Kelce statistically experienced career lows in both receiving yards (823) and receiving touchdowns (3) despite having 97 receptions.

What McIntyre failed to highlight is that a team led by Mahomes will always be in contention for a playoff push no matter the year. The Chiefs have won 9 straight divisional titles and played in every AFC Championship game barring his rookie season, no matter how the roster looked.

Veach has been quietly building a new front four while gradually decreasing the average age of the squad. The Chiefs added Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Marquise Hollywood Brown, and they have been hits so far. Kareem Hunt stayed after returning to the squad last year. They also have Isiah Pacheco to light up the middle of the park with his tricky runs.

As for the offensive line, McIntyre may consider Moore to be a liability, but time and again Reid and the offensive line coach, Andrew Robert Hack, assemble a good enough line to protect Patrick Mahomes, so Moore is in good hands. And his tape looks decent.

In my opinion, the tape doesn’t lie. They see something in me, so I’m excited to go balls to the wall for these guys.

Jaylon Moore said about his 2024 season

McIntyre was the 25th best-graded tackle in the NFL last year. PFF gave him a 74.9—73.1 on pass blocking (42nd in the league), and he ranked 32nd for run blocking in the league.

2024 was Mahomes’ worst year in terms of numbers. He threw below 400 completions after three seasons— recording 392 passes for 3928 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 picks. If he played the final game of the season, then 4000 yards and 400 completions were guaranteed. The Chiefs still finished 15-1 and defeated the Texans and the Bills in the playoffs to set up a rematch against the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Reid’s team finally ran out of steam. Despite a late flurry of touchdowns by Mahomes, the Eagles won the game 40-22.

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