Andy Reid has spent much of his time in Kansas City presiding over an offense that rarely raised questions. With Patrick Mahomes leading the way, production was a given. However, this 6-11 season has disrupted that reality. The passing game stalled, the run game followed, and Reid felt defenses knew it, too.

“We’re not getting enough reaction out of them (in play action)… There was not enough respect there that needs to be given… Somewhere you’d like to have a few bigger plays in that area… There’s a part of it for that. There’s a part of it that we can look at the action for guys, and make sure we execute,” the head coach said.

Something was off in the run game all year. The run game’s struggles were clear, with the team finishing 25th in rushing (averaging just 106.6 yards per game). Outside of Kareem Hunt’s 611 yards and eight touchdowns, there was no consistent threat. The drop-off was severe, as Isiah Pacheco (462 yards) and Mahomes’ scrambles (422 yards) were the only other meaningful contributions, highlighting a lack of depth that defenses easily exploited. No other runner cleared more than 151 yards.

What compounded the issue was how Kansas City tried to run the ball. The Chiefs ranked near the bottom of the league in rush rate and relied heavily on shotgun and RPO concepts, often placing the decision in Mahomes’ hands rather than committing to downhill runs. That approach no longer created explosive plays, allowing defenses to sit in two-high shells without sacrificing run integrity.

Defenses adjusted. Without a credible run threat, throwing lanes tightened, especially over the middle of the field. The ripple effect showed up in the passing numbers. Mahomes-led or not, the Kansas City Chiefs averaged just 232.2 passing yards per game. For the Chiefs, it’s not enough.

Even when the run game found modest efficiency on a down-to-down basis, it rarely flipped field position or forced schematic changes. The lack of explosive runs meant play-action lost its bite, reinforcing Reid’s concern that defenses simply didn’t feel threatened enough to react.

“We had 10 or so games that were decided by 7 points or less… you’ve got to really evaluate those and the whys of that… The end of the game drives that you could’ve scored on or were scored on… We’ve got to narrow that up and make sure we’re on the right end of it,” the head coach said.

He relayed those exact points in the team meeting.

Veterans take accountability for disappointing season

Andy Reid said the tone was set before anyone ever sat down for exit interviews. There was a team meeting first, where the offensive issues were laid out plainly and expectations for next season were made clear. Reid also made a point to note how the leadership in the room handled it.

“Those core veteran players and the core group, they were very focused on figuring out the problems and not excusing themselves from it. Taking accountability and making sure we fix it going forward,” he said.

That internal response mattered because the season exposed something deeper than execution errors. For years, Kansas City leaned on Mahomes’ ability to compensate when the offense lacked balance. This time, the margin disappeared, and the consequences showed up in the standings.

That kind of response was necessary because what happened this season wasn’t just a minor dip. The Kansas City Chiefs saw a streak of 10 straight playoff appearances come to an end. Their nine-year run atop the AFC West was snapped by the Denver Broncos. The seven-year streak of conference championship game appearances is over, too.

That’s why this couldn’t be brushed off as bad luck or timing. The players needed to feel how serious it was. It was the kind of season that forces an honest self-evaluation into what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Moving forward, the responsibility is shared: players must improve their performance, while the front office must address roster deficiencies and acquire the right talent. Reid, for his part, sounds energized by it.

“I’ll be even more motivated to get this offseason started, just the way this season ended,” he said. “[I’ve] been here 10 years. [It’s the] first time being in this position, so [there’s] definitely a lot of motivation coming on my end, especially finishing the way we did.”