Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs stay aggressive and add another key piece before NFL trade deadline

Kansas City is 7-0 and will not rest on its laurels

The Kansas City Chiefs have to improve. That may be an insane statement to make about the NFL‘s only 7-0 team, a team that features a top-10 scoring offense and a top-10 scoring defense.

But the Chiefs‘ vulnerabilities — including surprisingly-inconsistent play from quarterback Patrick Mahomes — have to be cleaned up before playoff time.

The Chiefs are well on track to win the AFC West for the ninth season running, and they remain the favorites to win Super Bowl LIX in February.

But to get there, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid understand that they have to account for every possibility.

Standing pat as the NFL’s trade deadline loomed was not an option, and Kansas City already acquired former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to help out Mahomes and the offense.

Who is Josh Uche, the Chiefs’ new pass rusher?

Eyebrows were raised Sunday when the New England Patriots made coveted linebacker Josh Uche a healthy scratch prior to their win over the New York Jets.

A day later, Uche is the newest member of the Chiefs after Kansas City parted with a 2026 sixth-round pick to acquire the former second-round selection.

Uche is only two seasons removed from an 11.5-sack season, and he totaled 20.5 sacks over 58 games (four-and-a-half years) in New England.

The Chiefs’ defense has been an elite unit in stopping the run, but they have been league-average in slowing down the passing game.

Ahead of a possible playoff matchup with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City has decided that parting with a sixth-round pick is a more-than-reasonable price to pay in order to get a little more pressure on the quarterback.

As the Chiefs bolster defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo‘s unit, the hope is that — like last season — the defense can take some pressure off Mahomes and the offense to be absolutely perfect.

Mahomes has thrown eight touchdowns to a league-worst nine interceptions through seven games, and he only just connected with star tight end Travis Kelce in the end zone on Sunday for the first time this season.

However, Kansas City has demonstrated that it will find unique ways to stay a step ahead of the competition while Mahomes figures things out — and chances are that the three-time Super Bowl champion will be in fine form come January.