Patrick Mahomes has won two MVPs in his career, and I think he will secure his third in 2026.
Last season was one to forget for Kansas City. They finished 6-11 and lost Mahomes to injury late in the year. I would put that down to a fluke season. When the standards are as high as they are for the Chiefs, there was going to be a down year at some point. 2025 was that season, and it can only go up from here.
Despite the team not playing well as a whole, Mahomes still put up numbers. In 14 games, he threw for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns, while throwing 11 interceptions. Their top wideout missed over half the season, as Rashee Rice only featured in eight games. An aging Travis Kelce led the team in receiving yards with 851 yards. However, it was the rushing offense that was the big problem. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco led the way in that department, and it was Hunt who led the team in rush yards with only 611 yards. Having an awful run game mixed with inconsistent playmakers makes things tough on any quarterback, even if his name is Patrick Mahomes.
2026 looks to be a much better setup for Mahomes with the weapons he has surrounding him on his quest for his third MVP. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is the big addition, who should get things going on the ground, which in turn will help open things up for Mahomes and company to do more damage in the air. Walker eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Hunt averaged 3.7 YPC last season for Kansas City while Pacheco was not much better at 3.9. Walker gives defenses another weapon to be concerned about and he will be a huge asset to this new look offense.
Rashee Rice is also going to be available Week 1, which is a huge improvement from where this team was last year. With Walker III in the backfield, Rice as your WR1 and Hollywood Brown/Xavier Worthy battling for the WR2/WR3 spots, along with a veteran tight end such as Travis Kelce, things look a lot different for Patrick Mahomes. The former two-time MVP seems to be recovering from his ACL injury well, as he’s been cleared for training camp. I think the biggest factor for Mahomes looking back to his old self in 2026 will be the run game. The Chiefs were essentially one dimensional last year offensively, and now they should have a well balanced attack that will help everybody eat, especially the three-time Super Bowl champion under center.
