THE ‘FREEWHEELING GUNSLINGER’ OF K.C.

MAHOMES HAS SET NFL ALIGHT AFTER JUST FOUR STARTS

by doing that, spending that time, it pays off in situations like this.”

His natural athleticism, and upbringing.

It’s fairly well known that Mahomes is the son of former Major League Baseball player Pat Mahomes, a pitcher from 1992-2003 with the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. The elder Pat Mahomes had a career 5.47 ERA in the majors with452strikeoutsanda4239 record.

Although primarily raised by his divorced mother, Randi, Mahomes has always maintained a close relationship with his famous father. As a multi-sport high school himself, Patrick II earned renown in baseball as much as, or more than, football. He once threw a no-hitter and struckout16.

He wasn’t drafted until the 37 th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, but by then, he’d made it known to all baseball folk that despite possessing a 95 mph fastball, football was his No. 1 sport.

“My dad played football in high school. He was all state,” Mahomes told Sports Illustrated. “But he never really loved it. For me, though, football was my love.”

Mahomes’ passing talents, instincts, daring and athleticism were all on display in last Sunday’s 38-27 defeat of San Francisco, but especially on two plays just a couple of minutes apart.

On the third of K.C.’s five first-half touchdown drives in five possessions, Mahomes from midfield calmly saw that the speedy Hill was double-covered deep, but threw it up to him anyway, trusting the amazing receiver to go up and get it. Hill did so for a 42-yard gain.

Three snaps later, from the San Fran four-yard line, Mahomes dropped back, rolled far to his left under duress, instantly circled on a dime back to his right to avoid a sacker, outran him and other defenders as he made his way cross-field to the right side and, while still sprinting, spotted receiver Chris Conley racing across the back of the end zone. Mahomes didn’t hesitate to rip a hard, accurate throw square into Conley’s hands at the back right corner of the end zone, for the touchdown.

Shooting-star QB wonders — that is, young phenoms or backups who loudly impress over a limited, brief period of time, like cheap fireworks — have filled NFL skies for decades.

You know them. The Scott Mitchells, Rob Johnsons, Don Majkowskis, Peyton Hillises and Robert Griffins.

No one knows right now whether Mahomes can avoid so dastardly a fate. So far, he’s looking far more like a superstar than a shooting star.

DAVID EULITT / GETTY IMAGES No quarterback in the history of the NFL has burst onto the scene quite as dramatically as Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. He had 13 touchdown passes in his first three games, all wins.