Kansas City Chiefs Eye Continued Success Amid Offseason Changes
The Kansas City Chiefs are riding the wave of a monumental 2023 season, where they clinched a second consecutive Super Bowl championship. Despite the victory, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes admits that their path to glory wasn't always smooth, particularly pointing out the offense's inconsistency compared to past seasons.
"The end result [last season] was awesome, but I think a lot of us still have a weird feeling in our mouth . . . It wasn't fun every single week having to try to just continue to get better and better and the results not paying off the way you wanted to," Mahomes reflected. "We have a lot of those same guys back and they know how that felt, so we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season and obviously try to end with the same result."
The Chiefs are setting the foundation for the upcoming season at their training camp, which begins for quarterbacks and rookies on Wednesday at Missouri Western State University. The full team joins on Sunday, ready to build upon last year's triumphs and address past weaknesses.
New Additions Bring Speed to the Offense
An integral part of this preparation involves integrating new talent into the roster. The Chiefs have strategically bolstered their offensive lineup by adding two fast wide receivers - free agent Marquise Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy. Worthy’s astounding 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine not only raised eyebrows but also set a new event record, putting high expectations on his young shoulders.
However, Worthy’s journey hasn't been completely smooth. A sore hamstring sidelined him for most of the offseason practice sessions. Nevertheless, Mahomes emphasizes there will be no easing in for the rookie, recognizing the stiff competition within the team.
"There's no easing [him in]. He's going to have to be ready to go. We got a lot of competition on this offense," Mahomes stated. "He got a lot of mental work in these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp, but it's time to go now. Y'all saw it with Rashee [Rice] last year and some of the throwing-up days he had. We're going to push you to the limit and prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season. That's not just him. That's everybody and everybody has to have that mentality when they come into camp."
High Hopes and Focused Preparation
As the Chiefs prepare for the season ahead, Mahomes highlights the essence of competing against one of the league's best defenses day in and day out during training. "We added a lot of speed. What's better than going against our defense? It's the best defense in the NFL and we get to go against them every single day and really show where we're at and how we can get better."
Reflecting on the need for a heightened intensity going into the new season, Mahomes is clear that the team is approaching the new year with even greater determination. "We're back at St. Joe. It's time to get better. Every season starts differently. You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even with a higher intensity and even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we felt like we didn't play our best football, especially offensively. So it's our goal to be better that way and coming in with that mentality every single day."
Mahomes Balances Football and Family
Off the field, Patrick Mahomes has significant personal news as well. He and his wife, Brittany, are expecting their third child. The star quarterback has always dreamed of having a family early, inspired by his upbringing in the locker rooms. "It's awesome. I always wanted to have kids young. I got to grow up in the locker room. I think I've talked about it before and it made such an impact in my life and so I wanted to have kids young and we're having our third kid now to join our family," Mahomes shared. "Brittany does a great job of doing that and we still go out and enjoy our life and let our kids see these great things they might not be able to remember what videos of and it is really cool. I spend so much time in the building at football for these seven, eight months and whenever I'm with my family, I want to enjoy those moments."
As he balances the demands of being an elite NFL quarterback with the joys of fatherhood, Mahomes expressed his contentment, saying, "I'm done. I'll say that. I said three and I'm done."
The Kansas City Chiefs and their fans have every reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season. With a blend of veteran experience, youthful talent, and the invaluable leadership of Mahomes, the team is poised to chase yet another championship, all while shoring up the consistencies that eluded them last season.