The Plan for 2026 if the Chiefs Three-Time Super Bowl Champion QB Can’t Take the Field
In Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, at Arrowhead Stadium in the fourth quarter, on the last drive of the game, with less than two minutes remaining against the Los Angeles Chargers, the proverbial last straw was broken on what ended up being a disastrous 6-11 campaign. Patrick Mahomes, while scrambling out of the pocket to his right, was tackled from behind by defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand as he threw the ball away out of bounds. The three-time Super Bowl MVP hyper-extended his left knee and tore both his ACL and LCL. As Mahomes clutched at the injury and rolled in pain, a collective breath was held at the crimson coliseum, and a groan traveled through Chiefs Kingdom that had been building all year with every loss. The 10-year postseason streak was broken, as was the streak of seven consecutive AFC Championship games played. Mahomes would miss the playoffs for the first time since becoming a starter in 2018. With the 2025 season done and mercifully over, a priority for the 2026 Chiefs is to get their franchise quarterback back on the field. While the three-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback has been optimistic about his rehab following surgery on his knee in December, there is no timeline for his return behind center. So, what should the plan be for Kansas City if their superstar quarterback has to miss time on the field in 2026, and even if he doesn’t?
Simply, run the ball. With the signing of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, the Chiefs may have taken Mahomes’ injury as a painful sign to finally commit to a running game. Head coach Andy Reid is known for his pass-heavy and innovative offenses, while also having a years-long reputation for being adverse to an offense that sticks to the run. Alas, it seems the decision might have been made for him by the football gods that faithful day against the Chargers. With Walker running behind All-Pro Center Creed Humphrey, Pro-Bowl guard Trey Smith, and first-round draft pick Josh Simmons at left tackle, and an improving Kingsley Suamataia, the Chiefs should be able to take pressure off newly signed Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields. Fields is a phenomenal athlete and a dangerous threat to run the ball for big gains. Kansas City is the best football organization Fields has been a part of and will give the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft a good shot at revitalizing his career, especially if Mahomes is out for an extended period of time. In his one year with the Steelers after being traded by the Chicago Bears, the Ohio alum showed improved accuracy and poise when he guided the team to a 4-2 record to open the 2024 season in place of an injured Russell Wilson. With future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce returning, Rashee Rice being cleared to play the season without suspension, and two speedsters who can stretch the field in Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton, Fields will have all the arrowheads he needs loaded in his quiver.
With two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft at ninth and 29th overall, the Chiefs are poised to send ample reinforcements. To shore up the offensive line to further protect Mahomes and Fields, and bolster the run game, Kansas City should choose an offensive lineman at the ninth pick. Tops on the list would be Spencer Fano from the University of Utah or Francis Mauigoa from the University of Miami. Either of these two blue-chip tackles added to the existing offensive line would be a solid addition and go a long way in anchoring a more run-heavy offensive philosophy while protecting the greatest quarterback in Chiefs history. The 29th overall pick should be on the defensive side of the ball. Kansas City fan favorite defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., out of the University of Miami, will most definitely be off the board by then, potentially leaving his teammate and fellow edge rusher Akheem Mesidor available. The Chiefs' pass rush was an issue in 2025; they’ll be looking to address that early in the 2026 draft. Sticking with strengthening protection along the offensive line, Eli Raridon, out of Notre Dame, a tight end with above-average blocking skills and soft hands for catching the ball, could be a sneaky good pick in the third round of the draft or lower. An additional consistent blocker as well as a pass catcher would be a great value at that selection. Whether the three-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback misses a game or not in the 2026 season, such an injury to a generational player, a unicorn at the position, demands that changes be made to preserve that magic for as long as possible, and it appears Kansas City is looking to pull that rabbit from a hat.
