Deep Thoughts: Here’s Where Mahomes, Chiefs Rank in Explosive Passes

The Kansas City Chiefs have bye-week work to do in certain areas, but this isn't one of them.

Oct 12, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (80) warms up prior to a game against the Detroit Lions at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Time and time again this offseason, Patrick Mahomes warned the NFL. The Chiefs wanted to be aggressive on deep passes and tight-window throws.

Halfway through their 2025 season, mission accomplished.

Entering Week 10, Mahomes leads the NFL with 22 completions of 25-or-more yards.

Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws the ball in the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Anyone who lived through last season knows production like that, year-over-year, is significant. Over the entire 2024 campaign, he completed only 25 such passes.

What’s more, his 32 completions of 20-plus yards in 2025 ranks third in the league behind Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford (each with 34). In 16 games last year, Mahomes completed just 40 passes of 20-plus yards, or 2.5 per game. This year, he’s averaging 3.6.

Most completions of 25+ yards this season:

22 – Patrick Mahomes
21 – Dak Prescott
20 – Caleb Williams
20 – Sam Darnold
20 – Jordan Love

— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) November 7, 2025

Better protection, available receivers ... and Kelce

Much better protection this year, whether with Josh Simmons or Jaylon Moore at left tackle, is an obvious difference.

Another huge boost to the team’s passing offense, in addition to the obvious return of Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown after long 2024 injuries, is Travis Kelce, who opted to return to the Chiefs this season after serious speculation that he could retire.

Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) carries the ball against the Washington Commanders during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Not only is the tight end on pace for his first 1,000-yard season in three years, Kelce also has generated more than half of his yards after the catch. He has 284 yards after the catch, or 6.9 yards per reception.

Five of Kelce’s 41 receptions have gone for at least 25 yards. He had just three in 16 games all of last season.

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn (11) tackles Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Receiving success rate

Perhaps more impressively with regard to Kelce, and how Mahomes has benefitted, is the tight end’s receiving success rate of 71.2 percent. To put that in perspective, Kelce in 12 prior NFL seasons has never had a mark in that category above 69.0 percent, and that was his second season in the league, 2014.

Receiving success rate is the number of receptions that gain 40 percent of the yardage needed on first down, 60 percent of what’s needed on second down or 100 percent of the necessary yardage on third/fourth down, divided by targets.

Tyquan Thornton has six receptions of 25-plus yards, Xavier Worthy three, Brown three, JuJu Smith-Schuster two and Rice two.

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