Training Camp Preview: A New Cast of Characters for Mahomes

The 2025 Kansas City Chiefs enter training camp facing more offensive question marks than they’ve dealt with in recent memory. Following a 2024 campaign plagued by inconsistency at wide receiver, the team turned to the draft in search of answers. They selected Jalen Royals in hopes he can quickly form a connection with Mahomes. The Chiefs are counting on Royals to complement Xavier Worthy, last season’s breakout rookie. However, that’s a lot to ask of two young receivers in a room still filled with uncertainty.

Marquise Brown, expected to be a key contributor last season, missed nearly the entire year with a preseason shoulder injury. Rashee Rice suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 and now faces further complications both in health and availability. That’s after being sentenced to 30 days in jail in July due to a high-speed crash in Dallas. A suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy remains a possibility. Meanwhile, DeAndre Hopkins and Mecole Hardman departed in free agency. That left a roster light on proven production. Sorting out the pecking order in this revamped receiving corps will be one of training camp’s top storylines.

At running back, the spotlight remains on Isiah Pacheco. After fracturing his fibula in Week 2 last year, he returned to action but never quite looked like the explosive, tackle-breaking runner of his first two seasons. This offseason, he’s bulked back up to his rookie playing weight of 216 pounds. He hopes a return to form is in sight. If not, the Chiefs may look to spread the workload. Rookie Brashard Smith and veterans Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell are waiting in the wings.

Kansas City’s offense is evolving. That said, as the skill players shuffle, one concern remains stubbornly the same. Here we’ll try to look at the fatal flaw that the Kansas City Chiefs must address in their 2025 NFL training camp.

Offensive Tackle Turmoil

For all the high-flying plays and fourth-quarter comebacks, the Chiefs’ Achilles’ heel in recent years has clearly been at offensive tackle.

It’s not just a concern. It’s an active liability. The four-year, $80 million contract handed to right tackle Jawaan Taylor in 2023 was supposed to be a stabilizing move. Instead, it’s aged like milk. Taylor has consistently struggled, ranking near the bottom of the league in PFF grades and run block win rate. His inefficiency is a problem that’s only magnified when the pocket collapses on Mahomes.

Things aren’t much brighter on the left side. With stalwart guard Joe Thuney now gone, the Chiefs’ plan at left tackle feels more like a patchwork than a solution. Wanya Morris was benched in 2024. That prompted Thuney to kick outside in desperation. The other main option, Jaylon Moore, spent most of his time as a reserve in San Francisco. Neither inspires confidence.

Rookie Hope

Enter Josh Simmons, who’s the No. 32 overall pick and perhaps Kansas City’s most important rookie this season. Simmons, a former Ohio State standout, boasts tremendous upside. Teammates have already compared him to Trent Williams. That’s high praise that speaks to his athleticism and mean streak in the trenches.

There’s a catch, though. Simmons is coming off a torn patellar tendon that ended his college career prematurely. His health remains a question mark, and while he’s turned heads in offseason workouts, a full-contact NFL training camp is a different test entirely.

If Simmons can get and stay healthy, he has a chance to lock down the left tackle spot and give Mahomes the blindside protector he’s lacked since Orlando Brown Jr departed. But that’s a big “if.” Without Simmons in the lineup, the Chiefs could be forced into another season of mixing and matching at the most important positions on the offensive line.

Even Mahomes Needs Time

It’s easy to forget amid the highlights and heroics, but even Mahomes is mortal when the pressure mounts. Last season, the Chiefs gave up too many drive-killing pressures. It limited their ability to push the ball downfield and made the offense relatively predictable.

Kansas City’s defense can carry a heavy load. The skill players are intriguing, and Mahomes is still the ultimate eraser. However, if the offensive line doesn’t improve, the Chiefs risk letting their Super Bowl window narrow unnecessarily.

Training camp won’t just be about scripting new plays or grooming rookies. It’ll be about deciding who can be trusted to stand between Mahomes and the turf. Because if they get that wrong, no amount of quarterback magic will be enough.

The Championship Hinge Point

The Chiefs are still the team to beat, but they’re no longer unbeatable. The tackle position remains their most glaring vulnerability. It’s one that smart defensive coordinators will target early and often.

If Josh Simmons proves to be the answer, Kansas City could be looking at another title run. If not, the cracks in the dynasty’s foundation may finally show. Either way, the battle in the trenches will define what comes next.