NFL's 6 biggest unanswered offseason questions, including do Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes have enough weapons

Yahoo Sports “Football 301” podcast hosts Nate Tice and Matt Harmon dedicated a large segment of an episode this week discussing the key unanswered questions across the league following the 2026 NFL Draft. They emphasized that many teams still have significant uncertainties that will play out over the coming months.

There was agreement that no team in the league is perfect after the draft, with most contenders having at least one significant roster or schematic question mark.

Many teams are relying on internal growth, health and coaching adjustments to offset lingering holes as they prepare for training camp and the season ahead. The AFC, in particular, looks especially wide open due to these uncertainties.

Here’s a summary of the main questions they outlined for several prominent teams and units:

Question: Is the Chiefs’ run game, offensive line, and return of Eric Bieniemy enough to mask the concerns at wide receiver?

The Chiefs went defense-heavy in the draft, and the only notable additions at receiver were late-round picks and undrafted free agents.

The team is essentially running it back with Rashee Rice as WR1 and Xavier Worthy as WR2, both of whom are question marks.

Harmon specifically questioned whether this group of pass-catchers is enough to open up the passing game and keep defenses honest.

“… they kind of need like a big-body receiver, somebody to really win against press man coverage and be kind of that guy on late downs in contested catch situations,” Harmon said. “And to me, I think on paper they still don’t really have that guy.”

Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates his touchdown with teammate Rashee Rice (4) in 2024’s season opener. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

(David Eulitt via Getty Images)

Question: Did the Bills do enough on defense, especially along the line and at pass rusher, to contend with other top AFC teams?

While they added T.J. Parker and some veterans, there are still questions about having an “ace” edge rusher or closer for playoff games.

Tice noted concern that the team may be relying too much on Jim Leonhard’s coaching ability to “game up” pressure without having top-end talent.

“He has a defense that can do that,” Tice said. “But this is what’s given the Bills issues in the past is that when it came to, you know, the elite games, the playoff games, the tight games, they didn’t have that closer. That’s why they signed Von Miller. Joey Bosa did a good job for them last year, but then Joey Bosa just had a horrid game in the playoffs against the Broncos and just making a bunch of mistakes, which has always been a little thing with Joey. But I don’t think they really have that ace.”

Question: Do the Packers have a top-10 unit on either side of the ball after their offseason moves?

After a relatively quiet free agency and some key injuries, it’s unclear if either the offense or defense is elite, or if the roster is simply “stuck in the middle” while relying on internal development.

Harmon challenged whether enough improvement has happened for the Packers to stand out, especially with so many young players expected to take a big leap. The wide receiver room was condensed, which could help although here were the results of the top guys last season:

Question: Did the Jags add enough legitimate pass rush heat beyond Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker?

Even after drafting a run stuffer and relying on creative coaching, Tice is unsure if there’s enough pure pass-rushing ability on early downs to threaten elite offenses. But there is faith in their coaching to find solutions.

“I would say that their defensive coordinator Anthony Campanelli does a great job of gaming stuff off,” Tice said. “He did. He really moved up in my play-caller rankings because of how good he was on third and fourth down. How good their game plans were every single week.”

Question: Did the Bengals’ additions up front (Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe) do enough to cover serious concerns at linebacker and safety, especially against tight ends over the middle?

Both hosts highlighted how the Bengals’ defense was exposed last season in these areas, and improvements depend on the aging yet expensive defensive line masking these back-seven weaknesses.

“That does worry me that you’re kind of making the same bet with two aging defensive tackles,” Harmon said.

Question: How will the 49ers fare with so many key veterans (George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans) coming off injuries, and will a young receiver (De’Zhaun Stribling) step up if Brandon Aiyuk is moved?

Tice described the 49ers as a “super high variance team” that could look great if healthy but has major question marks at crucial positions, putting their 10.5 win total in doubt.

“[Head coach] Kyle Shanahan does really go after guys that are intelligent like in smart players,” Tice said. “That’s why his guys don’t really make a lot of mistakes and even though he asked a lot of them. So Stribling is going to get a lot of run. That’s a lot to put on a second-round rookie wide receiver. Especially if you have aspirations.”

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