Mahomes about ready to cash in
Patrick Mahomes’ ascension to the top of the NFL has been anything but quiet. The 24year-old leader of the Chiefs is the most electrifying player in all of football and he’s already raked in enough accolades to make decade-long starters jealous.
In 36 career starts.
There is no real comparison to Mahomes’ unbelievable start to his career. Dan Marino had all the talent in the world and was immediately an elite quarterback like Mahomes, but he never won a ring. Tom Brady won a ring early in his career, but he wasn’t a prolific player when the Patriots’ dynasty was kicking off.
If Mahomes is capable of putting together these types of performances at this age, then it’s impossible to pin down what he’ll be a decade from now (or even five years from now). He grew up in front of America on Super Bowl Sunday. When the 49ers made the easy plays difficult for the Chiefs offense, he put on his big-boy pants and drove them to the promised land. We’re accustomed to young quarterbacks getting flustered and confused during games in the spotlight like this.
Just a few weeks ago, 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson got frustrated and played uncharacteristically badly in a loss against the Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Last year, Jared Goff laid an egg in Super Bowl LIII and was the main reason the Rams scored only three points. Deshaun Watson struggled mightily in the Texans playoff loss to the Colts last season.
Mahomes is a different breed. He already reached folklore status with his rambunctious, energetic, explosive style. Now he’s immortalized in NFL history as a champion. The game is slowing down for him and he’s increased his level of play in tight spots.
After he threw two awful interceptions — including one that hit linebacker Fred Warner right in the middle of his jersey — it looked like the moment was too big for Mahomes. There isn’t any shame in that. He’s a young dude, everyone knows how good he is, and bad plays happen to everyone in football. The fact he was able to settle in and revert to being the most unstoppable player in the league was testament to his greatness.
Very few quarterbacks are capable of leading their team to a Super Bowl victory with three straight comebacks in the playoffs. Only one of them is still on their rookie contract.
The next step for Mahomes? Cash in on being a legend. He has an entire career in front of him. Kansas City is going to pay him like a king without any hesitation, as it should. He’s the reason why the Chiefs were able to win their first Super Bowl since the 1969 season. He’s the reason why the Chiefs will be Super Bowl-relevant for the next 15 to 20 years.