The Chiefs may have lost Eric Bienemy to the Commanders but newly promoted OC Matt Nagy could help Patrick Mahomes get even better.
Patrick Mahomes is now a two-time Super Bowl champion in addition to a two-time NFL MVP. And easy money is on him racking up a few more of both of those achievements as his career continues.
Of course, the 2023 season will be a bit of a new frontier for Mahomes. It’s the first time Eric Bienemy won’t be his offensive coordinator in Kansas City.
Bienemy took a job with the Washington Commanders in hopes of proving himself as a head coaching candidate outside of Andy Reid’s shadow. In his place, the Chiefs have turned to a familiar face, promoting quarterbacks coach and former OC Matt Nagy to the role.
Mahomes obviously has familiarity with Nagy. He was Mahomes’ QB coach in 2022 and he was the OC when Mahomes was drafted in 2017.
Chiefs fans have no reason to worry about Mahomes or the offense taking a step back under Nagy. He might even get better. These two stats prove it.
2 stats prove Patrick Mahomes can get even better under Matt Nagy
First, Nagy’s offense had Alex Smith produce the most efficient season of his career. Playing for the Chiefs in 2017, Smith had a career season with 4,042 yards and 26 touchdowns. His interception rate of 1.0 was a career-low.
Mahomes is a significantly more gifted quarterback than Smith. If Nagy could accomplish those numbers with Smith, he’ll expect to get Mahomes’ numbers off the charts.
Second, the Chiefs offense was never more balanced than under Nagy. KC hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Nagy left for the Bears. Kareem Hunt rushed for 1,327 yards in 2017.
That means Mahomes has never had a 1,000-yard rusher commanding the attention of opposing defenses since he became the starter. Isiah Pacheco could be that guy after producing 830 yards on the ground as a rookie, especially with Clyde Edwards-Helaire likely checking out.
While Mahomes is capable of doing it all on his own, having a more dangerous rushing attack would only open up easier opportunities for him to shine.
