The NFL playoffs march on, and the remaining fan bases whose teams are still in the fight cling to the dream that this could be the year. Meanwhile, the rest are left to look back on a season, searching
for answers on how the team came up short.
With many fans of the Kansas City Chiefs turning their attention to an offseason that will feature change in an organization known to be consistent, it’s a good time to look back over the last few months and distill the story of the 2025 season through statistics.
While we debate and strategize about the Chiefs’ coaching staff, free agency, and the draft, here are four key statistics to remember.
1. Chiefs generated a 36.7 passer rating on deep passes thrown outside the numbers
The Chiefs attempted to build the receiving corps around speed, bringing in wide receivers like Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton and drafting Xavier Worthy. The hope was to revitalize the team’s explosiveness and bring deep shots back into Kansas City’s offense.
Over the middle of the field, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found some success, earning a passer rating of 105.8 on throws 20 or more yards downfield.
However, when throwing deep outside the numbers, the Chiefs completed just 12 of 40 pass attempts for 392 yards, three interceptions and zero touchdowns.
The issue can be partly attributed to Kansas City’s lack of a running game, because defenses have little reason to stack the box against an offense that shows little interest in running the ball.
However, the bigger issue among the Chiefs’ speedy group of receivers is the lack of an X receiver who can create separation and finish a contested catch.
2. No Chiefs wide receiver topped 600 yards receiving
While wide receivers Rashee Rice, Worthy and Brown all eclipsed the half-century mark in 2025, none of them made it to 600, which is a paltry number by NFL standards.
Tight end Travis Kelce finished the year with 851 yards receiving, so Kansas City had one skill-position player surpass the 600-yard mark, but Kelce’s return in 2026 is in question. Regardless, the 36-year old should still not be the Chiefs’ leading receiver.
When looking at yards per route run among the Chiefs, only Rice (2.15) and wide receiver Nikko Remigio (2.63) topped two yards per route, a respectable number. However, Remigio’s sample size of eight routes was too small to be analyzed. Additionally, Rice’s average depth of target was only 4.9 yards.
Despite the Chiefs’ attempts for an offensive renaissance in 2025, the opposite came to fruition. That being said, it did the unit no favors that Worthy was playing through injury all year. He successfully underwent surgery this week.
3. Chiefs had the seventh-ranked pass blocking efficiency rating (86.3)
When you consider the rotating cast of characters Kansas City had at the offensive tackle positions this season, this is an impressive number. The high ranking was anchored by the team’s strong interior line, featuring 2025 first-team All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.
It helps that Mahomes is one of the hardest quarterbacks in the league to bring down; he will scramble for yards or throw the ball away instead of taking a sack. This number would have likely been higher if the final three games were excluded.
Still, there is room to grow: left guard Kingsley Suamataia will enter his second season on the interior in 2026, and left tackle Josh Simmons needs to return healthy and ready to go. If Kansas City can acquire a reliable starter at right tackle, the offensive line could be elite in 2026.
4. Chiefs running backs averaged just 3.7 yards per attempt
There is a justified feeling among fans that the Chiefs do not run the ball enough. While that could be true, the output of the backfield did not inspire the coaching staff to hand the ball off more often.
There is a lot that goes into a run-game scheme — like when the runs are called situationally and what sort of running play is called. For example, a goal-line attempt will be a shorter gain, and the effectiveness of a rushing attempt from a run-pass option play out of shotgun may vary based on how the quarterback reads the defense.
Still, there is no denying that the Chiefs’ running game was subpar and lacked explosiveness this season. Running back Kareem Hunt may have felt unstoppable on short-yardage handoffs, but he lacks the burst and second gear to be a big-play threat anymore. Running back Isiah Pacheco — whose longest run of the season was just 16 yards — has worthwhile straight-line speed, but very little lateral agility or ability to read blocks to make the most of it.
The result is a less-than-inspiring position room that is in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Then again, you could say that about most of the Chiefs’ skill positions from 2025.
