Someone whose name is not Patrick Mahomes has just won MVP in red for the first time since 2021. Imagine the level of your importance to the team that actually went into beating Showtime and get some publicity yourself. Not many have managed to do it. Safety Tyrann Mathieu was the last one to be announced MVP by the Chiefs before Mahomes ran rampant for 2 seasons. All of them were Super Bowl wins, so you will have to give him that. But this season was different. If not for the newest Derrick Thomas Team MVP award winner. Maybe Mahomes and Co wouldn’t even have been in the Super Bowl LIX.

Joe Thuney, who is the latest winner of the Chiefs’ Most Valuable Player, deserves every bit of the award. Like if he refused to switch from left guard to left tackle. Who knows? Patrick Mahomes probably couldn’t even have completed a single pass without getting sacked. Until Thuney started at left tackle, Mahomes had already been sacked a whopping 20 times. And you know what happened after Thuney took over? Mahomes was only sacked 2 times in the remaining games from left tackle.

Before hitting the jackpot with the 4-time Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City just kept on experimenting at left tackle. First, it was the turn of rookie Kingsley Suamataia, who was dropped after two games. Then, Wanya Morris took over and started the next 11 games. However, when he suffered a knee injury, the Chiefs brought a new man. D.J. Humpries was signed as a starter at left tackle. And just like all season, tragedy yet again struck the Chiefs at LT. They lost Humpries in his first start against the Chargers because of a hamstring. Out he went for the next 3 weeks. At that time, it felt like the Chiefs were just cursed at LT.

That’s when the Chiefs decided enough is enough. It’s time to come up with a bold decision. Andy Reid decided to drop Morris from consideration at LT. Instead, he brought Thuney out of left guard and gave him the keys to left tackle. In his place, Mike Caliendo was switched to left guard. Besides yielding just 2 sacks against the likes of T.J. Watt, Von Miller, and Myles Garrett, Thuney’s best run came from week 16 to the AFC Championship.

Like the 3-time Pro Bowler only allowed 7 pressures from 166 pass-blocking snaps. So, it’s pretty easy for you to guess right now why Thuney deserves the award more than anyone else. “Definition of a team player,” as the Chiefs described him in their announcement. Honestly, couldn’t have said it better. And he actually wasn’t the only player who grabbed an individual honor. Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy, who fought valiantly in the Super Bowl, got his recognition.

Xavier Worthy bags Mack Lee Hill Award to cement his place in the Chiefs receiver room

Coming into a receiver room that consisted of the likes of Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy was always supposed to find it hard to break into the starting lineup. However, when the Chiefs suffered dual blows with injuries to Rice and Brown, Worthy stepped up big time. Yes, the Chiefs did sign DeAndre Hopkins to add some experience to their receiving corps. It was actually Worthy who shined the most. Little did they know the answer was a 21-year-old. Like Worthy actually had a triple crown year himself in Kansas City. By the time the regular season was over, Worthy had already caught 59 receptions for 638 yards and 6 TDs.

Even in the postseason, that streak continued, with Worthy catching 19 passes for 287 yards and 3 TDs. Well, his overall numbers aren’t the only thing that makes Worthy a winner of the Mack Lee Hill Award. What he did in the final 10 games was truly remarkable. The 21-year-old didn’t have a single outing, including playoffs, with less than 40 yards.

And by voting him as the winner of this award. The Chiefs’ locker room has sent one clear message. Worthy will have an even bigger role next season when the Chiefs prepare themselves for a revenge tour after a heartbreaking end to 2024.