Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a second straight loss in Week 8, falling to 5-2 on the 2026 NFL season after a 28-24 loss to Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs will look to put an end to the midseason drought in Week 9, returning to Arrowhead Stadium to host Geno Smith and the New York Jets.
Despite the recent struggles for Kansas City, Mahomes is still having a solid year to begin his 10th NFL season. Through seven games, the former Texas Tech quarterback has completed 154-of-232 passes for 1,795 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. And he has been able to do this without wide receivers Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle) over the last couple of games.
But with the Chiefs having injury issues at the wide receiver position, they addressed the problem by bringing in another pass catcher for Mahomes.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) stands on the field after an NFL game.David Brytus-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Bub Means, after a college career with the Pittsburgh Panthers, was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 170 pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The wideout earned a spot on the Saints roster during his rookie season, appearing in seven games and tallying nine catches for 118 yards and one touchdown. But an ankle injury kept Means out of the 2025 season with New Orleans.
The Saints would later cut Means before the 2026 NFL season, only to sign with the Cleveland Browns' practice squad just over a week later. His tenure in Cleveland didn't last long, and he was cut on Tuesday. But it didn't take long for Means to draw some interest, trying out for the Chiefs one day later.
Means made an impression with Kansas City during his tryout, and on Thursday, the Chiefs signed him to the practice squad, giving Mahomes potential depth at the wide receiver position.
"The Kansas City Chiefs signed WR Bub Means to the practice squad," A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman wrote on X. "He was among the 9 players they had in for tryouts yesterday."
Mahomes and the Chiefs will face the Jets on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET before hitting the road in Week 10 to face the Atlanta Falcons.
Related: Chiefs Announce Travis Kelce Change Before Jets Game
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
