The Chiefs’ 2025 season left a stain, and the fallout has carried straight into the league’s award chatter.
Kansas City managed only six wins in 2025, a rare step backward for a team that had been to five Super Bowls since the 2019 season. That kind of résumé usually buys a little more grace, especially with Patrick Mahomes under center. Instead, the latest round of NFL.com’s predictions for major awards painted a much colder picture.
Mahomes did come out as the clear favorite for Comeback Player of the Year, but the MVP race told a different story. Despite having already won three Super Bowls and being named NFL MVP twice in his career, he drew just one vote in the predictions.
Josh Allen led the way, with Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert tied for second. Mahomes ended up in a three-way tie for sixth with Brock Purdy and Caleb Williams.
The message from that survey was hard to miss: Mahomes still has to prove he can rebound after the first major injury of his pro career. He turns 31 in September, and the idea now is that he may need to adjust how he plays after that injury.
He wasn’t the only Chief to get overlooked. Creed Humphrey, one of the league’s best centers, received no votes for Protector of the Year. Mansoor Delane, Kansas City’s first-round pick out of LSU, also failed to get a vote for Defensive Rookie of the Year, even with his draft status and the presence of his defensive coordinator in the mix.
Andy Reid got one vote for Coach of the Year, but that was still a surprising showing for a coach with his track record. He could easily get the Chiefs back on track in 2026 and return them to the Super Bowl after this disappointing season, but only one person saw him as worthy of that kind of recognition.
For a team with this much talent and that much recent success, the lack of award buzz stood out. The Chiefs had a bad year in 2025, but it’s still basically the same core that reached the Super Bowl in 2024.
And with Mahomes at quarterback, respect usually comes with the territory. Not this time.
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Patrick Mahomes Family Video Arrived As One Chiefs Question Lingers
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Travis Kelce added another layer to that discussion on the New Heights podcast, saying Mahomes determination to return from injury helped shape his own decision to keep playing. Even with that kind of confidence around the locker room, one obvious question still hangs over the Chiefs as they approach the opener against the Denver Broncos: Mahomes is expected to suit up, but nothing has been confirmed yet. [Read more 🡒]