Arrowhead Pride
There are nine games in the books — with eight more to go. The Kansas City Chiefs are taking their bye week in Week 10, so it’s time to dish out some midseason awards.
We’ll be fully transparent: most contributors had already cast their vote before Mahomes turned in what was arguably the most frustrating regular-season performance of his career in Week 9’s 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
That sour note heading into the bye, however, does not wipe away the streak Mahomes had been on after the season’s first two games.
Starting at halftime of Week 3’s contest against the New York Giants, Mahomes had put together one of the best stretches of his career. With half of the season now in the rearview, Mahomes is third in the league with 2,349 passing yards and in a six-way tie for third with 17 touchdown passes. Mahomes’ cumulative stats would be more impressive, however, had he not put himself in a position to watch much of the fourth quarter of Week 4’s contest against the Baltimore Ravens (and Week 7’s shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders) from the bench.
Mahomes has also continued to show his toughness as a runner, putting the offense on his legs when he’s been unable to win with his arm. In 2025, he has rushed for a career-high 31.7 yards per game — and has added four touchdowns on the ground.
While the Chiefs’ record is disappointing at 5-4, Mahomes’ ability for heroics has put the team in a position to tie or take the lead in every game. With some of the league’s best offenses on tap after the bye week, Kansas City will need to replicate the success Mahomes delivered for a month; he’ll need to quickly move past completing fewer than 50% of his passes for the first time in his career against Buffalo.
The sports betting industry is still banking on Mahomes playing at an elite level during the season’s second half. Even after four losses, Kansas City currently tops FanDuel Sportsbook’s odds to win Super Bowl LX. Mahomes ranks third in their odds to win this season’s NFL MVP award.
When the Chiefs return to the field against the Denver Broncos in Week 11, we expect Mahomes to be playing at an elite level. He has a strong chance to end his age-30 season among the NFL’s top 30 all-time passers — and in the top 20 for career touchdown passes.
Enjoy the ride! The best quarterback of his generation still calls Kansas City home.
Click here for all of our 2025 Bye Week Awards
