MAHOMES GROWN
Chiefs finally found a starting quarterback in the draft, and he looks ready to blossom
There’s something different about Patrick Mahomes, something that sets him apart from droves of Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks who came before him. He was drafted by the Chiefs. Difficult to believe that’s a rarity, but only one of the last 22 quarterbacks who have started for Kansas City was a draft pick of that franchise: Brodie Croyle, who had a total of 10 starts in five seasons with the team, from 2006 to ’10.
Think about the parade of higher-profile Chiefs quarterbacks who were drafted by other teams, among them Alex Smith (San Francisco), Nick Foles (Philadelphia), Matt Cassel (New England), Trent Green (San Diego), Elvis Grbac (San Francisco), Rich Gannon (New England), Steve Bono (Minnesota), Joe Montana (San Francisco) … the list goes on and on.
Now that Smith has moved to Washington — the Chiefs traded him to the Redskins during Super Bowl week — the homegrown Mahomes takes the reins of a team that traded up to get him with the 10th pick in the 2017 draft.
Mahomes assumes the driver’s seat during a turbulent time in the division, when, paradoxically, the Chargers are suddenly the most stable team. This despite the fact that they’re still trying to find their footing in their new home of Los Angeles.
But the Chargers have stability on their roster, and a quarterback in Philip Rivers who has been with the franchise since 2004, when he was selected fourth overall by the New York Giants but rerouted to San Diego on draft day when the Chargers sent top pick Eli Manning to the Giants.
The Raiders have a familiar starter in quarterback Derek Carr, but have made all kinds of changes around him, not the least of which was rehiring coach Jon Gruden, whom they traded to Tampa Bay 16 years ago.
The new quarterback in Denver is the well-traveled Case Keenum, who finally has a team of his own after years of bouncing around the league as a backup or fill-in, and basically kept the seat warm (but also thrived) while the preferred starter got healthy or ready.
But the least experienced of these quarterbacks by far is Mahomes, who also happens to have the best supporting cast around him.
The Chiefs’ offensive arsenal includes running back Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing last year as a rookie; do-everything receiver-returner Tyreek Hill, who can outrun any defender in the league; All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, and receiver Sammy Watkins, who had eight touchdowns for the Rams last season and 17 in three seasons with Buffalo.
Mahomes has started one game in his pro career, last year’s finale at Denver when he showed both his live arm and limited experience. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards, with one interception and no touchdowns. The Chiefs won, however, 27-24.
“The start last year has helped me a ton moving into this year,” Mahomes told reporters at camp this summer. “It really helped me get the speed and not being too panicked and just calming yourself down.”
Some observers have compared Mahomes to a young Brett Favre, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who has coached both players, said the second-year player from Texas Tech can make throws that few others can make.
After the Chiefs’ regular-season finale last year, Reid noted that Mahomes had “complete control” on the field.
The early indications are the Chiefs got their man — and through the draft, at long last.