3 underappreciated areas where the Kansas City Chiefs must improve to get back to winning form during the 2026 NFL season
Looking at 3 quiet fixes the Kansas City Chiefs must make during the 2026 NFL season if they’re to reclaim their dominant form from seasons past. Linebacker coverage, special teams play, and third-and-long could be just as important to the team’s success as some more prominent issues.
The Kansas City Chiefs took a major step backward during the 2025 NFL season. A 6-11 record marked the worst finish of the Andy Reid era, the worst finish of the Patrick Mahomes era, and the first time the Chiefs missed the playoffs with Mahomes as their starting quarterback. The goals for 2026 are clear: win the AFC West, secure the Lamar Hunt Trophy, and compete for a Super Bowl LXI title. That pathway has defined Kansas City’s dynasty run, and getting back on it requires fixing what went wrong.
The obvious areas for improvement have been well documented. Offensive line protection, wide receiver production, the running game, explosive plays on offense, and the pass rush all need attention. But there are quieter, more underappreciated areas that could prove just as important in determining whether the Chiefs return to prominence.
Here are three that deserve more attention heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Linebacker coverage ability
Kansas City did not invest heavily in the linebacker room during the 2026 offseason, but the need for improvement in coverage is undeniable. The run-fill side of the equation has been solid for years, led by defensive team captain Nick Bolton. Coverage, though, was a glaring weakness throughout the 2025 season. Chiefs linebackers collectively allowed 114 receptions on 133 targets (over 85% completion) for 1,065 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025, per PFF. On the positive side, they recorded three interceptions and four broken-up passes. Still, targeting linebackers in the passing game was basically a gimme for opposing offenses.
With a resurgence of the running game across the NFL, pushing teams toward heavier personnel groupings, a higher percentage of plays will likely feature three linebackers on the field. The Chiefs need at least one linebacker in their base defensive personnel who can excel in coverage.
Jeffrey Bassa, the team’s 2025 fifth-round NFL Draft pick, fits the prototype. He contributed more on special teams than on defense as a rookie, but the expectation heading into Year 2 is that Bassa could earn snaps in subpackages where coverage ability is essential. Wesley Bissainthe, an undrafted free agent, fits a similar mold as a smaller, quicker, new-age coverage linebacker. If either player takes a step forward during the 2026 season, the Chiefs could see meaningful improvement in a statistical category that held them back a year ago.
Special teams production
Special teams under veteran coordinator Dave Toub must improve. This was once a major source of pride for Kansas City, a unit that consistently helped the team win games. Over the past two seasons, special teams has felt like an afterthought, plagued by mental errors and penalties.
One of the most glaring issues is that the Chiefs have not had a regular-season kick or punt return touchdown in years. The last kickoff return touchdown came on Oct. 25, 2020, when Byron Pringle took one back 102 yards against the Denver Broncos. The last punt return score came on Dec. 13, 2020, when Tyreek Hill returned a punt 44 yards for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. Since the new kickoff rules went into effect, the Chiefs have failed to capitalize on that play with a touchdown. The punt return game has been equally unproductive.
Beyond the return game, Kansas City needs to get back to creating turnovers on special teams. Forcing fumbles and taking the ball away on coverage units gives Mahomes and the offense extra possessions. These are high-impact, momentum-shifting plays that can reshape a game, and they matter even more as the margins for victory across the NFL continue to shrink.
Third-and-long conversion rates on offense and defense
The 2025 season exposed plenty of problems on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, and one of the most frustrating was the inability to get off the field on third down. The specific down and distance that haunted the Chiefs was third-and-10-plus, situations where Kansas City had already won on early downs and forced what should have been a difficult conversion. Instead, the defense gave up the big play far too often.
That should change in 2026. A remade interior defensive line and new edge-rusher pieces should generate more consistent pressure in obvious passing situations. The return of CB L’Jarius Sneed, who earned a reputation as an effective slot blitzer early in his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, adds another dimension to the pass rush. However, this isn’t just a problem for the defense in 2025.
The Chiefs had one of the worst third-and-long conversion rates on offense last season. Any negative play or penalty that backed Patrick Mahomes and company up in 2025 was a death knell for a given drive. Part of that had to do with the team’s inability to separate against man coverage. Some of it had to do with lapses in protection. No matter the cause on a given down and distance, the trend must change for the team to find greater success in 2026.
These three areas might fly under the radar compared to the headline-grabbing needs on offense and the pass rush. But each one contributed to the 6-11 collapse last season, and each one needs to make meaningful progress if the Chiefs are going to play the type of football they know they’re capable of in the 2026 NFL season.