Former Chiefs WR Gets Brutally Honest On Playing With Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, and if he continues at his current trajectory, the Kansas City Chiefs superstar will cement himself as one of the best players to ever step on a football field.

But just because you are a wide receiver in Mahomes’ offense does not necessarily mean your numbers are going to skyrocket.

Take Richie James, for example.

James signed a one-year contract with the Chiefs last April after a solid 2022 campaign with the New York Giants in which he hauled in 57 receptions for 569 yards and four touchdowns.

It was, by far, the most productive season of James’ career, and you would figure that going from Daniel Jones to Mahomes would instantly result in a dramatic uptick in output.

That certainly wasn’t the case with James.

The 28-year-old was limited to just nine games due to a knee injury, but during his time on the field, James hardly saw the football, finishing with a meager 10 catches for 114 yards on the year.

In a response to a fan on social media, James explained why he didn’t exactly light the world on fire in Kansas City in 2023.

Is Richie James really telling the truth?

While James is right that the Chiefs do have a big-time threat in tight end Travis Kelce, he isn’t being entirely forthright in his assessment of Kansas City’s receiving corps.

Remember: last season, wide receiver was a major area of weakness for the Chiefs. Rashee Rice was the only dependable wide out the club had. As a matter of fact, Rice was the only receiver on Kansas City’s roster to catch 30 passes in 2023.

Given that there was so much opportunity for someone to step in as a legitimate threat for the Chiefs this past year, you have to wonder why James couldn’t answer the bell.

It wasn’t because Mahomes was too busy locating other weapons. He wasn’t. That was why Kansas City’s offense actually struggled at certain points in 2023, and Mahomes actually put forth his worst statistical season as a starter.

The Chiefs had pieces with “potential” like Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, but neither player materialized over the course of the campaign.

So, James is being a bit disingenuous in essentially blaming his lack of productivity on there not being enough targets to go around.

There’s also a reason why the Middle Tennessee State product remains unsigned this deep into the offseason. Perhaps his 2022 showing with the Giants was a one-off.

Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here . Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network .

The post Former Chiefs WR Gets Brutally Honest On Playing With Patrick Mahomes appeared first on NFL Analysis Network .