​We are 66 days away from the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football to kick off Week 1. The No. 66 jersey will be worn by offensive lineman Mike Caliendo as he enters training camp, a number he has worn since entering the league in 2023. He’ll need to perform well in St. Joseph to keep donning that jersey through 2026.
There aren’t many notable No. 66s in Chiefs history, so it’s worth recalling a distinctive chapter in the franchise’s saga. Ricky Siglar entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent when the 1989 Draft still had 12 rounds. His path took him first to the Dallas Cowboys, then to the San Francisco 49ers’ developmental squad, where he spent 1990 and was repeatedly released in the following two years. The Chiefs signed him in 1993, the same year Joe Montana took the reins in Kansas City, and Siglar started 14 games at right tackle that season. He appeared in all three of the Chiefs’ postseason games through the AFC Championship Game, which ended in a loss to the Buffalo Bills. In total, Siglar started 50 games for Kansas City, a period when the franchise enjoyed a level of sustained competitiveness not seen in roughly three decades.
On the topic of team performance, there aren’t many simple explanations for why a team’s completion rate and catch rate diverge, but Pro Football Reference provides a striking data point: the Chiefs’ catch rate in 2025 stood out as an outlier compared with recent seasons. The numbers show a drop in catches compared with what the team had grown accustomed to in the Mahomes era. In 2025, the Chiefs posted a 66% catch rate, while 2024 stood at 71%, 2023 at 70%, 2022 at 71%, and 2021 at 70%.
The Chiefs’ passing game has repeatedly faced challenges with drops during the Patrick Mahomes era, yet the broader trend indicates that passes were hitting the ground more often than in previous years. Whether the decline stems from a lack of schemed-open pass catchers, quarterback pass accuracy, or the receivers’ ability to finish plays, the offense would likely benefit if the drop-off in catch rate regressed toward the mean observed over the last five seasons.
As Kansas City heads into 2026, a return to the norm in catch rate would bolster the team’s aerial attack, complement Mahomes’ playmaking and improve overall efficiency. For Chiefs fans and analysts alike, tracking how the offense adapts—whether through enhanced route running, improved timing, or added supplemental weapons—will be essential to judging whether the offense can reclaim its edge in a league that remains defined by explosive passing, precision timing, and reliable hands.