5 NFL players who perfectly complement Patrick Mahomes

Quite a few observers were busy penning an obituary for Patrick Mahomes when he struggled at the beginning of the season. His throwing was inaccurate, leading to many interceptions, and he struggled to lead the team downfield.

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But after seven straight wins, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs sit at the top of the AFC as the first seed. Mahomes has also made it to his fourth straight Pro Bowl, and everything seems sunny in Kansas City.

But to avoid the situation that befell them at the beginning of the season, we look at five players in the NFL who perfectly complement Patrick Mahomes. Two such players are already with Mahomes in Kansas City, and their recent connections have been one of the reasons the Chiefs have seen an upswing in fortunes.

But we also look at other players around the league, especially tight ends and receivers who are stuck in mediocre teams and would get a new lease of life playing with Patrick Mahomes. In turn, they would give Patrick Mahomes more options to win as well.

Players already playing with Patrick Mahomes

#1 - Tyreek Hill, WR

Kansas City Chiefs v Chicago Bears

Tyreek Hill is a phenomenal player with and without Patrick Mahomes. But the quarterback's presence makes him a different beast altogether.

When we compare the stats, Tyreek Hill has played 17 games as a wide receiver without Patrick Mahomes and 55 games with him. In terms of yards per game, there is not much difference, with 82.3 yards per game being his average without Patrick Mahomes and 83.2 yards per game with him. It is in terms of scoring output that we see the difference.

With Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill has 42 touchdowns in 55 games, averaging roughly three touchdowns in every four games. That goes down to less than half when he is playing without Patrick Mahomes, having scored only eight receiving touchdowns in 17 games.

The same applies to Patrick Mahomes as well. Without Tyreek Hill, his passer rating is 103.1, but with him it is 105.7. His touchdown percentage drops to 4.1 percent without Tyreek Hill. With Hill, Mahomes' touchdown percentage is 6.7 percent. It clearly shows how they both complement each other.

#2 - Travis Kelce, TE

Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp

Much like Tyreek Hill, we can see a stark difference in Travis Kelce's stats when Patrick Mahomes is not playing. Without Mahomes, Travis Kelce has played 17 games, averaging 68.4 yards per game. With Patrick Mahomes, the average goes up to 83.4 yards per game (calculated across 59 games played).

Without Patrick Mahomes, Kelce has scored nine touchdowns, and in Mahomes' presence, Kelce has 32.

This applies the other way round as well. Patrick Mahomes played one game without Travis Kelce, had a measly 76.4 passer rating and did not throw for a single touchdown but had one interception. With Travis Kelce playing with him, Patrick Mahomes has a passer rating of 106.0 and a touchdown percentage of 6.5 percent.

Players who should link up with Patrick Mahomes

#1 - Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears v Las Vegas Raiders

Allen Robinson is one of the best receivers in the league, and he needs Patrick Mahomes, or a quarterback of that caliber, to make sure he can reach his potential. So far, he has never had a quarterback come to his aid and never had much offensive support.

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Robinson played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, made it to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and finished the season as the leader in receiving touchdowns. That was the year the Jaguars went 5-11 and did not make it to the playoffs. Since then, he has played for the Chicago Bears, and their offense has been nowhere near good enough.

Justin Fields and Andy Dalton have not inspired the best out of Allen Robinson. Head coach Matt Nagy, by all accounts, has not handled the offense well. His potential is screaming for a Patrick Mahomes, for whom he can be a reliable second wide receiver weapon.

#2 - Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Washington Football Team v Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Pitts has just made it to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, but his talent is being wasted by a less than mediocre Atlanta Falcons. He needs to link up with a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes.

He has already accumulated 847 yards in just 14 games and broken the franchise record for a game with 163 receiving yards. But in the all-important metric of touchdowns, he has scored only one. With Patrick Mahomes backing him up, he has the potential to reach the sky.

For Patrick Mahomes as well, it will mean another tight end who can complement Travis Kelce and not have his production drop in Kelce's absence.

#3 - Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions v Minnesota Vikings

Since 2020, no wide receiver has had more receiving yards than Justin Jefferson, who has made it to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons. But from a team success point of view, he has not achieved much.

The Minnesota Vikings did not qualify for the playoffs last season. This season they are still in the hunt because they also happen to inhabit a division that has the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions.

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Among all the people on this list, Jeffersom does not need to move immediately in terms of increasing his offensive production. But if he really wants to win something, playing with Patrick Mahomes will be a great option. And much like in the case of Allen Robinson, Patrick Mahomes will get a second quality wide receiver that will ensure that there is someone to take the load off him when he is facing a slump, as he did at the beginning of this season.