Chiefs QB Mahomes has grown and matured over the years, both on and off the field
Published
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The first time Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC championship game, back in January 2019, he was a first-year starter who had just guided a long-suffering franchise to a divisional rout of the Indianapolis Colts.
Mahomes showed up for the postgame news conference that day, spoke with maturity beyond his years, then he headed off to celebrate in whatever way a 23-year-old NFL quarterback fast becoming a household name might choose.
Six years later, the Chiefs are headed back to the conference title game, this time facing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes is a two-time NFL MVP now, with three Super Bowl rings and the same number of kids, and the way he goes about the game — and life in general — is a whole lot different from how it was at the start of this run.
He is meticulous. He is patient. He still has moments of brilliance, of course, throwing crazy behind-the-back and no-look passes that leave jaws agape. But he also understands the nuances of the game, and that those highlight-reel plays that catapulted him to stardom aren't always necessary for a franchise chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.
“Obviously I want to be perfect. I want to be great,” Mahomes said. “But at the end of the day, I want to win, and however we have to win the football game, I'm good with it. If that's scoring a lot of touchdowns, not scoring touchdowns, if that's running the football — whatever it is, if it's just playing defense to win football games — I just want to win.”
This past season has exemplified the way in which Mahomes has changed on the field.
He averaged just 245.5 yards passing per game, or about 70 fewer than his first year as a starter. He threw 26 TD passes, tied for his worst full season as a starter. He averaged 6.8 yards per attempt — worse than, among others, Jameis Winston, Will Levis, Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson. And he was sacked 36 times, more than any other season in his career.
So how does that translate to on-field growth?
Well, consider the fact that — unlike 2019 — the Chiefs have the NFL's ninth-ranked defense, and were fourth in scoring defense during the regular season. Mahomes is mature enough to understand that he can throw for fewer yards, and fewer TD passes, if that means avoiding turnovers and other mistakes that would put his defense in a compromising situation.
In other words, Mahomes is content letting the defense do its job.
That plays into that elevated sack total, too (along with shoddy play at the tackle position). Mahomes is more willing to go down when he's under heavy pressure, rather than risk fumbling the ball away or throwing an interception.
As bizarre as it sounds, that once-cavalier quarterback has become almost conservative in how he plays the game.
“Like, there could be more special plays or he could try and make more things happen or force some things — he could do any of those type of things — but I think he knows that this is how they’re going to win,” said NFL quarterback-turned-CBS analyst Matt Ryan. “And that's the thing I love about it. It's a very unselfish approach.”
That doesn't mean Mahomes doesn't still have that big arm, self-confidence and brilliant ability to see the field.
“Make no mistake, when it's time to make the play, he's going to do it. And he believes that,” Ryan said. “And that's what I think I see from him now. And I think he’s more dangerous now than he was in 2019 because he’s got this Rolodex of memories of doing it over and over and over and over again. I think his belief is probably stronger than it’s ever been.”
The maturity of Mahomes is evident off the field, too.
To start with, he's a successful entrepreneur and businessman, with equity stakes in the Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City, the Kansas City Current and the Alpine Formula 1 team. He owns several Whataburger franchises along with investment stakes in Whoop, the makers of a wearable fitness tracker, and performance wellness company Hyperice.
Then there's the list of endorsements: Adidas, Coors Light, Head & Shoulders, Oakley, State Farm, Subway and more.
But perhaps most important have been the changes in Mahomes' personal life. He has put down roots in Kansas City, building his dream home there, and his wife, Brittany, recently gave birth to their third child, Golden Raye.
Six years ago, after beating Indianapolis to reach his first AFC title game, Mahomes probably headed off to party afterward. But the scene was different last Saturday night, after the Chiefs beat Houston to earn a date with the Bills.
Mahomes fielded questions from reporters while daughter Sterling and son Bronze tried their best — and sometimes in vain — to keep quiet off to the side. When he was finished, Mahomes walked over and asked them with a smile, "Why we talking so much? Come on Bronze!" Then, Mahomes grabbed his daughter's hand, scooped her up and headed out the door.
___
AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL