Mahomes Says He’d Use Quarterback Sneaks As A Short-Yardage Solution

The Kansas City Chiefs have been struggling in short-yardage situations, which is surprising given the contributions they’ve been getting from new running back Kenneth Walker III. It’s an important problem to solve, and it’s getting more attention after Kansas City’s failure to score from the 1-yard line in the Chiefs’ 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos. 

As a result, quarterback sneaks are a talking point again. This hasn’t been the case since back in 2019, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes dislocated his right kneecap executing one in a game against the Denver Broncos, according to Jesse Newell of The Athletic. Mahomes missed two games as a result, and the Chiefs haven’t called one since. 

Mahomes is willing to go there again, which isn’t exactly surprising. He invoked a variation of one of his matras as an explanation, saying, “I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.”

It feels beyond unlikely that coach Andy Reid would let him go there and do this given that Mahomes is coming off knee surgery, but the quarterback also revealed that the Chiefs have had a series of checks that would allow him to call the play. He added that it’s not like the Chiefs are “scared” to call the play, it’s just something they haven’t done. 

Those checks may come with an instruction, however. According to Pro Football Focus, the Chiefs have attempted eight sneak plays since Mahomes was injured in 2019, with tight ends Blake Bell or Noah Gray under center for each attempt.

The last tight-end sneak happened back in 2023 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per Newell, and Gray got stuffed. This isn’t uncommon, as many teams have had executing that version of the sneak and getting positive results. 

Reid was reluctant to discuss the subject, which also isn't surprising. But it’s one of the most successful plays in football, according to PFF, as  133 of 177 sneaks have picked up first downs this season in the NFL. 

That’s a 75 percent success rate, and Mahomes thinks the Chiefs are going to have to make changes based on their struggles in short yardage. 

One possibility that Newell mentioned is the idea of subbing in backup quarterback Justin Fields to run the play. Reid indicated that the logistics are possible, and Fields was successful on 6 of 7 sneaks last year with the New York Jets, per Tru Media. It would be close to the ultimate tell when it comes to play calling, but at this point the Chiefs are simply looking for solutions to a tricky problem.