The Kansas City Chiefs, a team used to owning the NFL, just got slapped with a brutal No. 17 ranking by Bleacher Report, a wildly unfamiliar spot after missing the playoffs last season for the first time in over a decade. This isn't just a bad number on a list; analyst Brent Sobleski is flat-out saying they'll have "a lot to prove" in 2026. The Chiefs were essentially dead in the water last December when Patrick Mahomes went down with a season-ending injury, and they lost out on all their remaining games. Now, with an an aging roster and Mahomes' future still a question mark, things are looking shaky in Kansas City.
Is Mahomes The Same Guy Coming Back?
Mahomes suffered his first major injury, tearing his ACL, and the timetable for his full return has been "up in the air." While he's reportedly making strides in recovery and "on track to start the season," ESPN's Adam Schefter is throwing a major cold shower on any quick return to MVP form. Schefter warned that players often take way longer to fully recover from torn ACLs, and he's speculating that we might not see the same Mahomes we're used to. "The real question will be not whether he plays, but how effective he'll be," Schefter stated. That's a gut punch for any Chiefs fan who expects their superstar QB to just pick up where he left off. They even traded for former first-round pick Justin Fields as an "expensive insurance policy" if Mahomes can't go. That tells you everything you need to know about their confidence.More Holes Than Just Quarterback
Sobleski isn't just worried about Mahomes, he's calling out the whole squad. The Chiefs didn't make many significant changes to the group that struggled through most of 2025, and there are "several deficiencies on offense and defense" that went unaddressed. Sobleski flatly said, "From a roster standpoint, Kansas City isn’t significantly better today than it was a year ago." Sure, they added Kenneth Walker III, which should help balance the offense and get that ground game going, but apparently it's not enough. Sobleski is clear: "this squad has a lot to prove and shouldn’t be viewed as a Super Bowl contender." And don't even get me started on the wide receiver issues. Their No. 1 guy, Rashee Rice, is facing a totally uncertain future. He was supposed to serve his 30-day jail sentence for that felony street-racing conviction later, but a failed drug test slammed the door shut and he's serving it *now*. That's a huge blow to an offense already trying to find its footing. The AFC isn't getting any easier either. Denver and Los Angeles are on the rise, and the Raiders just did a massive overhaul with new quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Sobleski summed it up perfectly: "Kansas City must first prove it’s capable of returning to the postseason." This isn't about Super Bowls right now, it's about simply making it back in.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.