Coming out of their bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs are 5-4 on the season, sitting third in the AFC West. So far, this season has shown little of the dominance displayed by the Chiefs since quarterback Patrick Mahomes took over the offense in 2018. Down the stretch, the team will have to fight to make the playoffs.
One thing that will help is that after some early-season struggles, the Kansas City offense appears to be back on track — aided in large part by the team’s fourth-down decision-making.
During Reid’s early seasons with the Chiefs, the team was routinely in the lower third of the league in fourth-down attempts. During Mahomes’ first four seasons as a starter, Kansas City’s highest number of attempts was 16 in 2020. That season, the team converted only nine of those attempts, which also ranked toward the bottom of the league.
But in recent years, all of that has changed.
Increases in attempts and conversions
By now, most of the NFL has joined the high-risk, high-reward world of fourth-down attempts. Over his career, Reid has typically been one of the league’s more conservative coaches in this area — but this season, he has bucked his own trend.
Over the last three seasons, the Chiefs have increased the number of times they’ve gone for it on fourth down, staying in step with a league where these aggressive decisions have become more common.
In 2025, however, they’ve outdone themselves. The team has elected to go for it on fourth down 20 times this season. Second to the Carolina Panthers (who have 21 this season), that’s easily Kansas City’s highest rate since head coach Andy Reid arrived in 2013.
The Chiefs’ 16 conversions from these attempts leads the league. And while many teams have depended on variations of the tush push to succeed on fourth down, Kansas City has managed to lead the league without a single quarterback sneak.
Breaking down the snaps
The Chiefs’ fourth-down attempts have been evenly divided between passes and runs — and the team has converted eight of the 10 plays of each type. This balance has made the team unpredictable in these situations — but it has also leaned heavily on one player: running back Kareem Hunt, who converted all eight rushing first downs. He’s also caught two fourth-down conversions — one of them good for a touchdown.
Wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy have both collected a pair of fourth-down receptions — and each has also recorded a fourth-down score. Otherwise, Mahomes, the other wideouts (and tight end Travis Kelce) have pitched in to keep the sticks moving.
Success with Hunt
Hunt became the team’s short-yardage back in 2024. He’s reprised this role in 2025, becoming an important factor in the team’s success.
While the offensive tackles have been inconsistent this season, the reliable interior trio of Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith — with Mike Caliendo sprinkled in — have provided Hunt with the blocking he’s needed to be nearly automatic in these situations, earning the full trust of the coaching staff.
Hunt might not be the player he once was, but he is certainly making the most of his second act as a premier short-yardage back.
Why now?
The some extent, Kansas City’s increased aggression on fourth down is due to Reid’s supreme trust in his running back, quarterback and interior offensive line. But the AFC’s postseason race is also a factor. With key divisional games on the horizon (not to mention a crucial Week 12 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts), the team’s newfound aggression is almost out of necessity. The AFC is loaded with talent — and many teams are going all-out to beat the Chiefs so they can capitalize on their own Super Bowl windows.
Reid knows all of this — and also that with its 5-4 record, Kansas City is on the outside looking in. To do the unthinkable — for his team to fight its way back to a fourth consecutive Super Bowl — he knows it will take an extraordinary effort. So his once-conservative approach to fourth-down decision-making has disappeared.
And it’s exactly what the Chiefs need.
