They say Andy Reid’s cooler than a blizzard in January. And usually? He is. But even the steadiest captain of all has to steer around icebergs now and then. Just ask Mahomes, who spent parts of last season dodging defenders like he was playing backyard tag. This offseason, the Chiefs faced a crossroads: invest in the trenches or tinker elsewhere, and Reid? He chose a path that is raising eyebrows.

31 sacks last season. The most Mahomes has taken since he became the guy in 2018. But Andy Reid isn’t flinching. You’d think that kind of heat might push a coach to load up on linemen like they’re going out of style. But the draft came and went, and a new RB? Nowhere to be found.

Chiefs fans know the Andy Reid mantra by heart: “If it ain’t broke, don’t rebuild it.” The problem is their O-line, which showed some cracks in 2024. Still, Reid didn’t exactly hurry to patch it up. No splashy signings, no early draft linemen. Just that classic Andy calm, like everything’s under control (even when Mahomes is dodging defenders like he’s in a laser maze).

According to CBS Sports’ “Biggest Remaining Need for Every AFC Team“, the running back position was one of the biggest unchecked boxes heading into the summer. Same with D-tackle and offensive guard. Reid’s thinking? Mahomes has danced through chaos before, and he made it look fairly easy. The guy isn’t just protected by blockers; he’s protected by instincts. Only 11.2% of his sacks in 2024 were considered “avoidable,” meaning even when things broke down, Mahomes usually knew how to escape the worst of it.

But sometimes, protecting Mahomes isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. If we go back to 2022, the Chiefs still hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, but not before Mahomes got sacked 34 times. The truth is that the Super Bowl run might’ve masked issues that could come back to bite. You can’t always keep winning with a broken system. And Clyde Edwards’ fall off just makes a new RB even more imperative.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire was supposed to be the guy. Someone who felt like he was tailor-made for Mahomes when the Chiefs drafted him back in 2020. Fast forward to 2025, all that hope came crashing down.

Last season? Rough. Clyde Edwards-Helaire managed just 378 rushing yards on 98 carries—an average of 3.85 yards per rush. Sure, he punched in three touchdowns, but he never cracked 100 yards in a game. His longest run all year? Just 21 yards. For a first-round pick, that’s not exactly lighting it up.

And it wasn’t just the ground game that faltered. Clyde was supposed to be a threat through the air, too, right? But in 2024, he saw just 29 targets, hauled in 22 catches for 137 yards, and didn’t score a single receiving touchdown. According to ESPN’s 2024 RB receiving ranks, that puts him well outside the top 30. For a guy once hyped as a dual-threat weapon, that’s a steep drop-off.

So why does this matter now? The Chiefs and Andy Reid basically punted on upgrading the running back spot again this offseason. CBS Sports even called it out, saying running back should’ve been a priority—if the front office hadn’t gotten cold feet after the whole Clyde experiment flopped. It’s like they got burned once and now they’re acting like the position doesn’t even exist.

What makes it worse? Mahomes is paying the price. Without a legit backfield threat to keep defenses honest, teams pinned their ears back and came after him. Per PFF, defenses pressured Mahomes on 33.6% of his dropbacks last season—the highest rate of his career. No run game, no hesitation from defenses. Just all gas, no brakes straight at QB1.