Patrick Mahomes gets a large share of the credit for the Kansas City Chiefs’ success, but the two-time NFL MVP is quick to acknowledge the role head coach Andy Reid has had on his career.
In an interview with Rob Maaddi on the AP Pro Football Podcast (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com), Mahomes explained he would have “had to learn how to play the quarterback position a different way” if he didn’t get to work with Reid:
“He’s the best coach, obviously, one of the best coaches of all time, but he’s just one of the best people of all time. He’s learned how to get the most out of me every day. He doesn’t let me be satisfied with where I’m at. He teaches me a ton. Not only the quarterback position, but how to be a leader and how to be a great dad and how to be a great husband. He lets me be who I am every single day. I think if I’d have went to some other places, I would’ve had to learn how to play the quarterback position a different way, and he just lets me play the quarterback position the way that I want to play it. I think that’s what’s made me such a different type of quarterback in this league.”
It’s funny to think about now, but when Mahomes was coming out of Texas Tech in 2017 there were a lot of questions about how his skill set would translate to the NFL.
PFF.com ranked Mahomes as the 29th-best prospect in the class, with Steve Palazzolo noting the quarterback’s arm talent and feel for making plays outside of structure made him tantalizing but also “leads to a number of poor decisions” throwing the football.
Kansas City didn’t seem to have any significant concerns. The team traded up 17 spots from pick No. 27 to 10 in a deal with the Buffalo Bills to draft Mahomes. He only started one game as a rookie because Alex Smith did a terrific job of leading the offense, but he took over in 2018 and hasn’t looked back.
The Mahomes-Reid partnership, even though it’s only been five years with him as the starting quarterback, has been one of the most fruitful in NFL history.
The Chiefs have won at least 12 regular-season games and advanced to the AFC Championship Game every year since 2018. They have made three trips to the Super Bowl during that span, winning in 2019 and 2022.
Mahomes has thrown for at least 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in each of his first five seasons as the starter. He’s one of three players in NFL history to win multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards, along with Tom Brady and Joe Montana.
