Chiefs may be getting weaker but so is one of Patrick Mahomes' toughest AFC rivals

06/03/2025 - 18:44 CST

Heading into the 2025 NFL offseason, one of the biggest storylines is how the Kansas City Chiefs will respond to losing handily in Super Bowl LIX. Their performance against the Philadelphia Eagles exposed some flaws that need to be addressed. The team has already made some moves, but there's a lot left to be written about the offseason, with free agency a week away.

The team has already gotten the good news that Travis Kelce is returning for at least one more season. They franchise tagged Trey Smith, but then traded away Joe Thuney, putting more question marks on the offensive line. Reports also came out that Justin Reid is unlikely to return to the team. The Chiefs aren't the only AFC team that has gotten both good and bad news so early into the offseason.

Bengals set to lose Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson in same offseason

The Cincinnati Bengals looked like they were on their way to a fun offseason, with Ja'Marr Chase's new contract seemingly inevitable and the team franchise tagging Tee Higgins. But the Bengals larned on Wednesday that Sam Hubbard is retiring. Just one day later, news broke that the team has given Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade.

So while their two best wide receivers will be back, Cincinnati could be set to lose both of their defensive ends. That would be particularly helpful for Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and any other quarterback in the AFC.

Hendrickson has been a menace over the last five seasons and accumulated 35 total sacks over the last two years. He sacked Mahomes once in their 2023 meeting, then sacked him twice in September of last year. Mahomes will be happy if he gets traded to the NFC.