The Kansas City Chiefs are entering a new era of football after the most dynastic run in the NFL since the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots, but quarterback and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes doesn’t see why the end results need be any different.
Mahomes, who is on track to start the season opener exactly nine months to the day since tearing his ACL during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last year, spoke confidently about how the new-look Chiefs, while different, will be similar to the previous iteration of the team in the one way that matters the most.
“We’re gonna be a new version of the Chiefs that goes out there and dominates the same way the old one did,” Mahomes said, per Matt Foster of KSHB41.
Kenneth Walker III Represents Chiefs’ Biggest Change on Offense
Other than Mahomes coming off the most serious injury of his career and the Chiefs trying to bounce back from their first losing season in 13 years, the biggest change on offense is likely what new running back Kenneth Walker III can bring to the table.
Walker, who inked a three-year contract in Kansas City following a Super Bowl MVP award, is the Chiefs’ answer to some of the least explosive rushing attacks in recent league history in both 2024 and 2025.
An improved run game should take some pressure off Mahomes, who scrambled frequently last season, setting career-highs in rushing yards (422) and rushing TDs (5) despite playing in just 14 games.
Walker’s presence should also prove an important complement to the pass game, where Mahomes’ top three targets — tight end Travis Kelce and wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy — remain unchanged.
All told, a better run game should allow Kansas City to alter its approach on offense, which some pundits have criticized as too stale and not innovative enough over the past two or three seasons.
Chiefs’ Defense Welcomes in 3 Rookies Expected to Make Major Contributions
More obvious personnel changes have taken place on the other side of the football after the Chiefs spent their first three draft picks in 2026 to boost the first and third levels of the defense.
Kansas City traded up from No. 9 to No. 6 in Round 1 in order to draft former LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who should start from Week 1 if healthy and up to speed with regards to the unit’s basic schemes and concepts.
The Chiefs also selected defensive tackle Peter Woods and speed rusher R Mason Thomas in the late first round and early second round, respectively. Thomas has a reasonable chance to break into the starting lineup at some point early in the season, though both should contribute to a revamped defensive front all year long.
Kansas City inked defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga as a run-stopper on the interior of the line in free agency this offseason and reunited with cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, a former standout in the Chiefs’ defense between 2020-23, after two years with the Tennessee Titans.
Patrick Mahomes Sends Forceful Warning on New-Look Chiefs