All the ways Chiefs receivers have let down Patrick Mahomes in 2023

Patrick Mahomes hasn’t lived up to his MVP standard in 2023. Some of that can be attributed to a decline in his play. His pressure rate is up slightly, leading to shorter passes than ever in his NFL career (6.8 yards downfield, on average). Despite that, his on-target throw rate is down from 77 percent to 73 percent this fall.

This is not just a Patrick Mahomes problem. It’s an issue owned by the entire Kansas City Chiefs offense — and no position bears more responsibility than the receiving corps that’s struggled to replace Tyreek Hill’s gamebreaking presence the last two years. In 2022, this didn’t matter. Mahomes played coolly efficient football and won his second MVP award and Super Bowl ring.

In 2023, however, it threatens to derail Kansas City’s dream of being the NFL’s first back-to-back champion since Tom Brady and the 2004 and 2005 New England Patriots. The Chiefs aren’t just plagued by an undermanned receiving corps — their losses are littered with examples of dropped passes and stupid decisions that had a meaningful, tangible impact on the final score.

So let’s talk about those. This is a running list and will be updated, assuming Kansas City’s wideouts continue to play football like they’re in the first 60 minutes of an uplifting sports movie about an overmatched gang of misfits who have to overcome their differences and rally together to win the big game.