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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still one of the best in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season.

They are off to a great start, acquiring several new free agents who should make an immediate impact in 2026. Most are on the defensive side, but Kansas City’s prize signing was running back Kenneth Walker III.

The Chiefs made it a priority to take some pressure off of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and strengthening the rushing attack was the perfect first step. In addition to Walker, they also signed running back Emari Demercado. Next on the to-do list is to add some firepower to the wide receiver corps.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Predicted to Win 2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year

Mahomes raised a lot of eyebrows on Wednesday when he posted a training video of himself dropping back and delivering a pass just 100 days removed from knee surgery. It is certainly an incredible feat, and an encouraging sign that he has a legitimate shot to be ready for the start of the regular season.

During Thursday’s edition of “Good Morning Football”, analyst and former NFL defensive end Isaac Rochell predicted that Mahomes will return to elite form in 2026, leading to being named Comeback Player of the Year.

“I’m picturing our boy Patrick Mahomes to be Comeback Player of the Year,” Rochell stated. “I think this is going to be a situation where we have prime Mahomes. The biggest piece of this that nobody’s talking about, and should be all we talk about, is the fact that Bieniemy (Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy) is back. Bieniemy is such a big peice of this offense, and sideline, and culture of the football team. As the offensive coordinator, he changes the whole energy. If you look at the sideline of the Chiefs last year, you could feel there was a disconnect. It wasn’t as tight as it had been in the past with Bieniemy, with guys [being] focused. Bieniemy’s coming back, the energy’s back, and Mahomes is going to be locked in. Everything that happened last year with the Chiefs, I’m not worried about it.”

Remaining Need for Chiefs on Offense

Mahomes will likely be among the top in the running for the award, but he needs an improved surrounding cast. As mentioned above, wide receiver is the top priority. Speedsters Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton are nice complementary pieces, but Kansas City desperately need a No. 1 alpha reciver.

That is thanks in large part to the off-the-field issues of Rashee Rice. With the cloud of mystery surrounding his legal situation, the Chiefs can’t count on him to contribute much, if at all, in 2026. They will likely spend multiple draft picks on the receiver position, possibly even one of their two selections in the first round.

Another sneaky need for Kansas City is at right tackle. With veteran Jawaan Taylor getting released earlier this month, that leaves either Jaylon Moore or Esa Pole to compete for the starting role. It could add another veteran or rookie to the mix. Lastly, the Chiefs may be interested in adding a developmental tight end to pair with Travis Kelce, and eventually take over for him in the future.

Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch