Have you forgotten what Patrick Mahomes is doing?
NFL fans and media tend to take a short-term view.
The hottest young star takes the headlines over the prolific veteran. Those who win a lot become villains, and those who defeat them are heroes. Before you know it, the new heroes are earning too much for our liking.
Mahomes has been through this arc of history: an incredible, exciting first season as the AFC quarterback who could finally dethrone Tom Brady. The Super Bowl win that rejuvenated a franchise. Then came the flag-raising, cheerleading run to a “three-peat” that turned much of the NFL world against the Mahomes/Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift media firestorm.
Mahomes was very good for a long time. “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain,” or something along those lines.
Then last season happened. Career low in quarterback rating. Career high in discharge rate. A losing season (heaven forbid) along with a season-ending ACL tear. Josh Allen is Superman, Brock Purdy has reached a new level, Trevor Lawrence is breaking out. Is Mahomes… under the radar?
A special career start
Let’s remind ourselves of Mahome’s first eight seasons as an NFL starter.
It is unprecedented. It hasn’t been since the second half of Tom Brady’s incredible career that a quarterback has reached this consistent level of success.
As mentioned above, we’re always drawn to the hottest young star in the league, and Mahomes’ first season was arguably the best season by a starting quarterback.
After sitting behind veteran Alex Smith in his rookie year, Mahomes exploded for 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in 2018. Only Peyton Manning had accomplished those marks in a single season before, and Mahomes was named MVP.
Mahomes lifts Lombardi trophy in 2020
It didn’t take long for him to win his first Lombardi Trophy as part of a streak that saw the Chiefs reach seven consecutive AFC Championship games, make five Super Bowls and win three.
But from young, exciting and beloved, the narrative (and gameplay) changed along the way.
After that 50-TD campaign, there was a stretch where Mahomes looked unstoppable, culminating in another 5,000-yard year in 2022, an MVP award and Super Bowl victory.
From 2023 onwards, his passing number dropped. He stopped going deep (at least compared to before). The defense also got better and although it didn’t stop the team’s success, we were used to ‘video game numbers’.
It was widely celebrated when the Chiefs fell last season, as if other teams finally knew their chance had come. This may not last long.
Will Mahomes Post-ACL Match Brady’s ‘Second Career’?
Tom Brady beat Mahomes in Super Bowl LV
There is an idea that you could take the first half of Tom Brady’s career and it would be enough to put him in the Hall of Fame. You can just take the second part and say the same thing. Put those together and there’s no denying he’s the best at it.
Sometime in that first half, Brady tore his ACL and missed an entire campaign. The Patriots lost their first playoff games in both seasons after he returned. Would he ever return to his Super Bowl winning ways?
Eight seasons and eight AFC Championship appearances followed, with three Vince Lombardi Trophies and two Super Bowl losses along the way.
It’s safe to say he didn’t ‘lose it’ after the injury.
Brady was 31 when he suffered that season-ending knee injury. Mahomes is 31 years old in his comeback season this year.
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The Chiefs topped the Colts in overtime in week two
From a talent perspective, there’s already an argument to be made that no one tops Mahomes. Has there ever been a better start to a career? What separates Brady is his longevity: 23 years in the league, 48 playoff appearances, seven Super Bowl wins.
Mahomes needs to play another decade and double his Super Bowl wins to approach Brady’s career mark, but if the start of this season is anything to go by, he’s right back to his best.
His quarterback rating (106.2) is at his best since 2020, his TD rate (7.0) is closest to 2018 and his 8.8 yards per attempt is more in line with his early career performance than recent seasons. He is playing aggressive and clean.
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Mahomes and company led the Raiders in their most recent outing
The Chiefs are 4-0 and are averaging 412 yards per game (second-highest in the league) and 29.5 points per game (fifth). There’s no denying that the addition of running back Kenneth Walker is a big factor in the resurgence of the Chiefs offense, but it’s also allowing Mahomes to be himself.
The Bills, Ravens and Jaguars are off to a hot 4-1 start, yet the Chiefs are the only team remaining undefeated in the conference (albeit with the benefit of a bye). Are we kidding ourselves that anyone other than them will be representing the AFL at SoFi Stadium in February?
Kansas City will aim to go 5-0 when they take on their division rival and 0-5 Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday, live on Sky Sports, and don’t be surprised if the winning streak doesn’t stop soon.
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