The Kansas City Chiefs have seen a shift in their overall focus in recent seasons. While quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce remain prolific offensive players, the Chiefs run at the top of the AFC has been underlined by great defensive play. In the early years of the Chiefs run, it was their ability to light up the scoreboard and string together big plays that led to their consistent success.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes the Chiefs will get back to a more high-powered offensive attack in the upcoming 2025 regular season. He believes that the combination of Mahomes and Kelce will hit on more big plays that are likely to drive head coach Andy Reid's offense.

“You’ll see Travis have more of an impact,” Veach said this week, per the Kansas City Star. “Maybe it’s not in production but it’s the offense [overall].”

Kelce had a brilliant 2024 season by the number of times he was targeted and his reception total last year. He was targeted 133 times by Mahomes and caught 97 passes. However, he had just 823 receiving yards and 3 TD receptions, the lowest totals in both categories since he was a rookie in 2013.
Kelce's last big season came in 2022 when he caught 110 passes for 1,338 yards and a career-best 12 touchdowns. He has totaled just 8 TD catches in the last 2 seasons combined.

Chiefs looking for much better offensive production

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Veach and the Chiefs recognized that the offense has taken something of a downturn in the past two years. The Chiefs are expecting Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to return to the starting lineup after playing just two games last season. Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint injury during the preseason and did not return until Week 16 against the Houston Texans.

Brown was targeted 101 times in 2023 during his final season with the Arizona Cardinals and caught 51-574-4. He had his best season in 2021 with the Baltimore Ravens when he caught 91-1,008-6. If Brown can return to that kind of performance or something close to it, it should be able to open things up for Kelce to return to the big-play level he had in the past.

Additionally, the Chiefs are expecting more from wideout Xavier Worthy, who is entering his second season. Worthy caught 58-638-6 during his rookie season and he should be more productive in 2025. The other factor is running back Isiah Pacheco, who played in just 7 games last season after fracturing his fibula in a Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As a result of the Brown and Pacheco injuries, the Chiefs were not the offensive team that fans are used to seeing. A return to full health of the top offensive players could impact Kelce, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense in a positive manner.