Chiefs Did Patrick Mahomes Major Disservice by Scrapping Trade
The Kansas City Chiefs could have used personnel improvements to a couple of key areas on the roster ahead of this week’s NFL trade deadline, including at running back, where they nearly made a deal for New York Jets star Breece Hall.
New York was the most active seller on Tuesday, November 4, flipping cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, its two best defensive performers, for a total of three first-round picks, a second-round pick and two players. Hall was also on the block for the right price (at least in the collective mind of the Jets), which Kansas City almost reached but didn’t quite clear.
“According to a team source, the negotiations between the teams broke down over the compensation for Hall, who is in the final year of his rookie contract,” Nate Davis of ESPN reported Thursday. “The Chiefs offered a 2026 fourth-round pick for the 24-year-old, who the source says wanted to join another team after fellow teammates cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams were traded Tuesday. The Jets, though, wanted a 2026 third-round pick.”
The quibbling over a middle-round pick renders both teams losers in the failed transaction, though the entity hurt most by the failed deal is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
aChiefs May Be Asking Patrick Mahomes to Do Too Much in AFC Championship Defense
The inability to reach a deal hurt both sides in the immediate, though the Chiefs will feel the pain more quickly than will the Jets.
Kansas City entered its bye this week coming off of a disappointing road loss to the rival Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs’ fifth consecutive regular-season defeat at the hands of a team it has bested four straight times in the playoffs during the Mahomes era.
The Chiefs are 5-4 and currently on the outside looking in at the seven-team postseason field. Upon a return to action in Week 11, Kansas City must face the Denver Broncos on the road before hosting the Indianapolis Colts in the following game — a couple of 7-2 squads tied for the best record in the NFL.
Kansas City has the 12th-ranked rushing attack in the league, though Mahomes is responsible for 285 of the team’s 903 total ground yards, which is a potentially dangerous and/or unsustainable burden for a player already carrying much of the offense on his shoulders. The two-time MVP is on pace to rush for 538 yards in 2025, despite never running for even 400 yards at any other time in his nine-year NFL career.
Brett Veach did nothing to help out the two most vulnerable spots on the Chiefs.
Still no good running back Still have an underwhelming DL
Looking forward to Patrick Mahomes carrying this roster again!
“Brett Veach did nothing to help out the two most vulnerable spots on the Chiefs. Still no good running back. Still have an underwhelming [defensive line],” NFL analyst Joel Moran wrote on X. “Looking forward to Patrick Mahomes carrying this roster again!”
Jets Hurt Rebuild Effort With Stubbornness Around Breece Hall Trade
Instead of going up one round in their asset trade offer, the Chiefs will instead rely on the combination of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt to carry them through the year.
Hall, however, would have been a clear upgrade over both players, as he has put together a season comprised of 581 ground yards (5.0 yards per carry) and two rushing TDs to go along with 21 receptions for 178 receiving yards — all despite playing on arguably the worst team in the league.
The Jets’ stubbornness of wanting a third-round pick rather than a fourth-rounder isn’t going to serve their rebuild in any way, as Hall wants an exit from the organization and can make one next March when he becomes a free agent.
New York’s only chance to keep Hall appears to be by utilizing the franchise tag, which makes little sense because the team has two second-year running backs on the roster in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis who will command considerably less money over the next two seasons than would Hall on a new contract.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Has Urgent Question For Aaron Rodgers And Arthur Smith
The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 5-3 on Sunday after defeating the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 at Acrisure Stadium. It was a massive win for Pittsburgh as the team had struggled against the Colts over the past two seasons. This time they managed to take down one of the elite teams in the AFC.
This was also a nice win for Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers because they had lost the previous two games. Getting an upset win over one of the best teams in the NFL is always inspiring. The Steelers' offense, led by Aaron Rodgers, was not at its best and played an average game at best, but Rodgers showed he can still make big-time plays. Execution needs to improve, especially in the red zone.
On his podcast Footbahlin, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shared his thoughts on how to help the offense score more touchdowns in the red zone. He is confused about why running back Jaylen Warren is not getting the ball more near the goal line. Roethlisberger believes Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith should give Warren multiple carries in goal-line situations, which could lead to more consistent touchdowns.
"Maybe he has just given total control to Aaron [Rodgers] to throw the little nows or whatever they call them, the little RPO type plays," Roethlisberger said while speaking on his podcast on Tuesday night. "Is it Arthur Smith doing it? I don't know what the deal is, but I would like to see them run it in the goal line. You know you got down to the two or three yard line a couple of times. Why is [Jaylen] Warren not getting the ball three or four times?"
It's very clear that Roethlisberger would like to see Warren get more carries. Especially when that football is near the painted line. Co-host Spencer Te’o pointed out that Warren averages 4.1 yards per carry and is capable of producing in those situations. Roethlisberger agreed with Te'o and then mentioned that the previous week he made the same comments about DK Metcalf.
He wanted Metcalf to receive four targets in goal-line situations. In Roethlisberger’s view, when the Steelers get near the end zone, the offense should focus only on Metcalf or Warren. He believes this is the key to success in the red zone for Smith and the team. If anyone knows how to score touchdowns, it is Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger also noted that some of the issues may come from Rodgers checking out of plays at the line of scrimmage, making it difficult to place full blame. He would like to see Rodgers hand the ball to Warren more often in goal-line situations. If the Steelers can improve execution and commit to using Warren in short-yardage opportunities, they have a chance to turn red zone trips into more touchdowns and strengthen their offense for the rest of the season.
The Steelers Should Use Jaylen Warren More
Warren has carried the ball 99 times for 404 rushing yards and scored two rushing touchdowns through the first eight games. He has also been a weapon in the passing game, recording 21 catches for 193 receiving yards and adding one receiving touchdown.
If Metcalf is unable to get separation, as was the case during the Colts game, checking the ball down to Warren more often would be a smart move. He has been electric whenever he has the football, and Smith should find ways to get him even more touches and create opportunities to get him into space.
