Deep passing once again a hot topic at Chiefs OTAs

Heading into the 2025 season, the most pressing question facing the Kansas City Chiefs may be their deep passing attack (or lack thereof down the stretch last year).

Although the team found on-field success until the unfortunate final contest, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had the worst statistical season of his career. The face of the league failed to reach 4,000 passing yards for the first time, while setting personal lows in most air yardage statistics.

Speaking after Wednesday’s open look at organized team activities (OTAs), Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and passing game coordinator Joe Bleymaier appeared to agree on the urgency to reignite the once vaunted Mahomes deep passing game.

“Talk is cheap, right?” Nagy remarked. “You can’t talk about it. You’ve got to be able to do it. So, I think it’s a mentality of every day in practice trying to make sure you stress not only the importance of talking about it but then doing it. In practice, there were times where we were, but I think it’s our job as coaches to emphasize it more and then let these guys go out there, and then their mindset too is cutting it loose every now and then. Not everyone is going to be perfect and complete, but it’s equity.”

Blame for the inefficiencies on offense has fallen mainly on inconsistency on the offensive line in 2024, particularly at the tackle positions. In reviewing the season, Nagy sees pass protection as only part of the problem, and he is happy with how the whole offense has responded in OTAs.

“Going back and looking at the tape,” he explained, “what I thought was interesting was there were times where maybe he wasn’t trusting [the protection], but then there’s times where he was and there was a breakthrough. I think it was more of the consistency of matching the two together so there there’s times where there’s a great time to throw the ball and the route wasn’t open — and some of that is because of the scheme that we put in— or vice versa guy open and we missed it.

“So, as long as we can show those guys the why part of understanding that, then we go ahead and take that into where we’re at now. So far, up to this point, it’s been beautiful with the attack mindset.”

Bleymaier has an appreciation of what Mahomes was able to do under pressure, but the coach agrees with Nagy that other factors played a role in the disappointing lack of big plays.

“[Mahomes] stood in there,” Bleymaier recalled, “and delivered a ton of passes that — I think when we went back and looked throughout the whole season of the pass game — your respect and admiration for him really grew because of what he was willing to do and how he was willing to stand in there. It all ties in together. Sometimes it’s the protection upfront that gets a lot of the highlighted attention, [but] it’s all three levels really that can have an impact on going deep and completing some of those passes.

“So, the receivers making the plays down the field, the protection up front, but it’s really all 11. That’s really the focus is how can each guy play their part into continuing to help us complete some of those deep passes, not just the one or two guys that gets highlighted.”

Bleymaier confirmed that getting everyone involved in the solution has been a focus at OTAs.

“This time of year, it helps with just the chemistry,” said Bleymaier. “Everyone runs, especially the deeper the routes. Everybody’s angle, as far as the pass catchers and their speed and coming out of the breaks, is just a little bit different. So, the quarterback’s getting the timing with those guys, getting a feel for how they run it, and then just utilizing them [while] continuing to stress to go top down and to let those guys run and really utilize their talents.”

Responsibility for improvement goes beyond the players.

“We have to be able to put the plays in that that give you that,” remarked Nagy of the coaching staff, “but then at the same point in time, you’ve got to pull the trigger. You’ve got to take that shot downfield. That’s execution amongst the line protecting Pat, taking his right proper drop, getting the depth and working his feet, the wide receivers running the proper depth on their routes and then letting it go.

“Then, we’ve got to try to put [the plays] in the right places and then, obviously, call it at the right times. But it’s a mindset, and you’ve got to stick to it and just constantly every single day. Not just every week — every single day, and then it just becomes reality.”