What Is the Chiefs' Fatal Flaw and How Do They Fix It?

The Kansas City Chiefs have enough talent to beat most teams in the National Football League. However, the Super Bowl exposed a crippling deficiency the Chiefs must fix.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles away from Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) in the third quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have what a cornerback from an AFC West rival team called a "magician" at quarterback. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is known for his uncanny style of play and production that has been matched by few in National Football League history.

Mahomes has also made a living making the Chiefs' shortcomings disappear. However, the Chiefs' Super Bowl loss proved that is not sustainable for a Chiefs team that measures their success in championships. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports noted what is arguably Kansas City's most significant issue heading into the offseason.

"The offensive line proved to be Kansas City's fatal flaw in the Super Bowl, and the offensive tackle positions have particularly been a thorn in their side," Sullivan said. "With Kingsley Suamataia, Wayna Morris, nor D.J. Humphries able to hold up at left tackle, K.C. needed to kick left guard Joe Thuney out to blindside tackle, which further stressed the O-line as a whole. 

Sullivan noted how critical it is for the Chiefs to solidify their offensive line like they did after losing the Super Bowl to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few seasons ago.

"This spring, the Chiefs will need to address the position with the same ferocity they did after losing Super Bowl LV in a similar fashion when they went out and inked Orlando Brown Jr. to a contract," Sullivan said.

"The key issue for the Chiefs is they don't currently have the financial wiggle room to simply throw money at the deficiency. At the moment, K.C. has just $11.5 million in available cap space. With that in mind, the Chiefs could be out of the running for the likes of Morgan Moses and Alaric Jackson in the free agency and possibly Ronnie Stanley as well. If they find a way to clear more space, Stanley would be a fascinating name to try and pry out of Baltimore after putting together a Pro Bowl season in 2024."

The Chiefs must do whatever they can, within reason, to address their offensive line this offseason. While head coach Andy Reid, Mahomes and the rest of the team are good enough to cover up the team's flaws, the Super Bowl proved that can only work for so long and will not be enough to the Chiefs to beat the best of the best. They must find a way to protect Mahomes better. He may be arguably the second-best quarterback in NFL history, but it does not matter if he is consistently running for his life or being picked up off of the turf.

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