The Kansas City Chiefs and their superstar quarterback spent most of the last decade walking around with an aura of the inevitable encircling them, and now that the hype is back following an offseason of doubt, Patrick Mahomes is warning his teammates not to forget what all that skepticism felt like.
Mahomes relayed his locker room attitude during a media session on Wednesday, September 23, three days after the Chiefs bested the Indianapolis Colts in an overtime contest on Sunday Night Football to move to 2-0.
“All offseason, we heard about how bad we were,” Mahomes said, per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. “How can you keep that hunger now that everyone is praising you, telling you you’re great?”
Mahomes is also warning his teammates about getting out over their skis after two wins against seemingly quality opponents in the Denver Broncos and Colts, as the Chiefs’ schedule gets ostensibly easier as they head out for a two-game road swing against the Miami Dolphins (0-2) and the over-achieving Las Vegas Raiders (2-0).
“We’re nowhere near where we want to be,” Mahomes continued. “You have to go out every week and have that mentality if you want to have success.”
Chiefs Left Tackle Josh Simmons Still Battling Back Injury
Kansas City has found early success this season despite injury issues to a couple of key players, one on each side of the football.
Left tackle Josh Simmons remains sidelined with a back injury that began bothering him during the offseason, and he has yet to play a snap since the regular season began.
Filling in for Simmons has been undrafted rookie Khalil Benson, who didn’t play any left tackle in college. Despite that, Benson has been impressive, though head coach Andy Reid has been measured in his praise of the young starter, noting that he will have to adjust as teams around the league gather more film on him and begin to hone in on and potentially exploit his weaknesses.
Simmons was a first-round pick in 2025 and presumably remains a key piece to the future of the offense. Should he return healthy relatively soon, the Chiefs will have a decision to make about whether to move Benson into the starting spot at right tackle or drop him into a reserve role as a swing lineman who can play on both sides.
Chiefs Cornerback Mansoor Delane on Track to Return Against Dolphins
Kansas City’s other major absence has come at the cornerback position, where first-round rookie Mansoor Delane started his career with a bang against Denver by making an interception during his first-ever coverage snap in the NFL.
However, Delane hurt his shoulder on that play, and that same injured joint plagued him for portions of training camp and the preseason.
The Chiefs indicated last week that Delane was healthy enough to play, but backtracked on that decision as his progression slowed over the weekend. Reid said Delane wanted to suit up and that the team could have called upon him if necessary.
That would all indicate that Delane should be back in the fold for the team’s Week 3 contest against the Dolphins in South Florida on Sunday.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Sends Team Strong Warning After Critics Change Tune