The Kansas City Chiefs’ playoff hopes took a huge hit with the team’s 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Chiefs fell to 6-6 after coming up short in Dallas and now must win out their schedule to have any chance of reaching the postseason.
Patrick Mahomes was stellar in defeat, tossing four touchdown passes against the Cowboys. But the two-time MVP is in very real danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career.
With Kansas City’s postseason hopes fading, Kevin Durant was asked if the team’s struggles in 2025 will affect Mahomes’ legacy. “What kind of question is that? That makes no sense at all,” Durant said on the Up & Adams Show. “If anybody’s questioning Pat Mahomes’ legacy from one off year… He could miss the playoffs for the rest of his career, I don’t give a damn… This man is Patrick Mahomes.”
Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs rebound from slow start?
Even if Mahomes never wins another championship, his legacy is secure in Durant’s mind. “He's still an all-time great. Potentially the greatest of all time,” he said.
While the Chiefs could miss the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, Mahomes is actually playing well. He’s fourth in the league with 3,238 passing yards. That puts him on pace for 4,587 yards over 17 games, which would be his highest total since his 2022 MVP campaign.
Mahomes is fifth in the league with 22 touchdown passes. That puts the ninth-year veteran on track for 31 TDs, which would also be his best effort since 2022.
In Week 13, Mahomes’ made NFL history. His four passing touchdowns tied him with Russell Wilson for the second-most TDs in a player’s first nine seasons (267).
The All-Pro QB is surpassing his 2024 production by almost every standard. Except, of course, for the bottom line. Last year, Mahomes led the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. This season, Kansas City could miss the playoffs altogether.
The Chiefs face a must-win game against the Houston Texans in Week 14. The resurgent Texans have won four straight contests, improving to 7-5. Mahomes has his work cut out for him Sunday night. Houston boasts the league’s top overall defense. The Texans are allowing a stingy 265.7 yards and 16.5 points per game this season.
