For the first several years of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs depended on him and the rest of the explosive offense to win games for them. In 2023, that flipped, as the defense became the superior unit and the one the Chiefs leaned on to win games.
In 2024, Mahomes had a career-low in passing yards (at least from the seasons where he was a starter) and tied his career-low in passing touchdowns. It was a year to forget for Mahomes but even with the "down year" so to speak, the Chiefs still reached the Super Bowl.
One big problem last year was the offensive line, which everyone saw on full display in Super Bowl 59. Brett Veach went to work in shoring up the o-line this offseason, signing Jaylon Moore and spending a first-round draft pick on Josh Simmons.
Jason Reid of ESPN thought the pick-up of Simmons was significant and actually predicted that his presence on the Chiefs' roster will help unlock a truly special season from Mahomes. His bold prediction for the 2025 rookie class was that Simmons would win the starting left tackle job.
"Josh Simmons will begin the season as the Chiefs' starting left tackle, and he will perform so well that quarterback Patrick Mahomes turns back the clock to 2018. A consistent offensive line is all Mahomes needs to return to dominance."
Patrick Mahomes' breakout in 2025 could come down to rookie gamble
Truthfully, it wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world if Simmons won the left tackle job. His only true competition is Moore, who the Chiefs signed in the offseason. Moore only started 12 games in four seasons with the 49ers so the jury is still out on if he can be a full-time starter or not. That being said, the Chiefs signed Moore with the intention that he'd be the starting left tackle while giving Simmons more time to rehab so it'd be the unexpected move for sure.
Simmons only fell as far as he did in the draft because of the injury he sustained in October (as well as some possible character concerns). Otherwise, it's a safe bet that he'd have been one of the first tackles off the board given how well he was playing for the Buckeyes before the injury.
If Simmons picks up where he left off with Ohio State, there's no reason this prediction can't come true. Not only could he win the starting left tackle job but Mahomes would then have his confidence back and would have the time to throw those long bombs down the field.
Chiefs fans love the idea of Mahomes having a bounce back season and being a prime MVP candidate again. Perhaps Simmons winning that left tackle job is what needs to happen for Mahomes to truly be able to cook again.
