The Kansas City Chiefs are back on the grind after a disappointing, surprising loss in Super Bowl LIX. That 40-22 final score does not do justice to how badly the Chiefs were defeated. Never has this team felt more vulnerable since the Patrick Mahomes era took flight.

Are the Chiefs cooked? Of course not. Kansas City is still the reigning AFC champs. Buffalo, Baltimore and others remain perilously short on answers to Andy Reid’s offense and the Chiefs’ overwhelming blend of talent and high-level experience. But the weaknesses are there, and Philadelphia proved just how exploitable they are.

As preseason activities ramp up and training camp approaches, there’s a lot of buzz around the Chiefs organization. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s going down in Kansas City.

Andy Reid wants Patrick Mahomes to play more aggressively

The Chiefs’ offense is not as fearsome as it once was. Kansas City won 15 games last season, so it feels a bit silly to nitpick, but those were almost all narrow, one or two-possession victories. The Chiefs won with defense and grit, rather than just blowing teams out of the water like they used to. Their complete inability to score on Philadelphia’s defense in the Super Bowl was glaring.

Andy Reid wants to reverse that trend. As The Athletic’s Zak Keefer lays out, the Chiefs head coach wants Patrick Mahomes to operate more ambitiously.

“Reid has challenged his quarterback all spring to push the ball down the field more, to play more aggressively and to give his wideouts chances for chunk plays,” Keefer writes.

Mahomes echoed that sentiment with reporters.

“We have guys that can roll,” Mahomes said. “Our job is to test the defenses down the field, and we have to get back to doing that if we want to open up other guys underneath.”

The Chiefs made upgrades to the WR room this offseason, including fourth-round pick Jalen Royals, known for his speed and big-play ability. With Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown headling Kansas City’s pass-catching corps, this is an offense built to take the lid off a defense and generate explosive results. Expect Mahomes to let it fly and take a few more risks in 2025.

Chiefs rookie Josh Simmons will be ready for training camp

Offensive lineman Josh Simmons, the No. 32 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, will be ready for training camp, per Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Simmons played six games in his final season at Ohio State after suffering a torn patellar tendon. He was involved in offseason practices and minicamp activities, but those were non-contact.

Simmons is expected to be a “full participant” in camp, according to the report from ESPN. Simmons only spent three seasons in college and had his junior campaign cut short, but he was a dominant force in the trenches for an Ohio State team with a perpetual advantage up front. Simmons was a champion in the NCAA. Now he will look to recapture that success in the NFL.

“You can see his athletic ability,” Reid told reporters at the end of mandatory minicamp (h/t ESPN). “You can see his want-to. He’s got a great attitude. He’s approached everything the right way plus a little bit extra. You could tell if you just want to look at his rehab, you can see that he’s got a mindset that, ‘I’m going to get in there.”

Among the many shortcomings exposed in Kansas City’s Super Bowl flameout, it became clear that Mahomes requires more protection in the pocket. Philadelphia’s defensive line carved up the Chiefs offense like a Thanksgiving turkey. Simmons should help preserve plays and afford Mahomes more time to read the field and execute those long-range throws.

Patrick Mahomes has not spoken to Travis Kelce about TE’s retirement

Rumors of Travis Kelce’s retirement have shrouded the Chiefs organization for a couple years now. The veteran tight end remains committed to winning football games for the time being, but he’s 35 years old. Kelce’s production declined last season and he has a flourishing media company off the field. It’s not unreasonable to speculate that Kelce could hang ’em up sooner than later.

That said, Patrick Mahomes is not worried about it right now. In fact, Mahomes says he has never discussed retirement with Kelce before.

“We never talked about it,” Mahomes told Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride (h/t NBC Sports). “I think you have that in the back of your mind — I mean, for anybody that’s played a lot of football seasons, there’s always a chance. You have to put in the work in the offseason. I think everybody wants to play in the games, but putting the work in the offseason [is] where stuff gets strenuous.”

Mahomes says Kelce spent the offseason “recalibrating,” but that his favorite target is ready to chase another Super Bowl.

““I think y’all can see it — he’s ready to go,” Mahomes said. “(Kelce has) been putting in the work this offseason, and he’s excited for another chance to make a run at it.”

Only Kelce knows his inner thoughts and feelings on the matter. While retirement buzz is sure to pop up after this season, we do know one thing for sure — Kelce is locked and loaded for the 2025 campaign, with his sights set on the Lombardi Trophy. Whether this is his last run, time will tell.