In five seasons Patrick Mahomes has established himself as the best quarterback in the NFL. The former Texas Tech Red Raiders star has led the Kansas City Chiefs to five consecutive AFC Championship Games, three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins. Even more impressive is the Chiefs have never played a road playoff game since Mahomes became the starter in 2018, only having to travel for the Super Bowl.
Mahomes has also won two MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs, and he’s only 27. Even with all his success, Mahomes is also cognizant of the work head coach Andy Reid has put into making him the game’s best signal-caller. Reid, who’s known as a QB whisperer or guru, has allowed Mahomes to be himself, and he’s rewarded Reid with the one thing that eluded him the first 19 years of his coaching career, a Lombardi Trophy. Mahomes doubled back for a second this past season.
Mahomes Raves About His Admiration For Reid
During a recent interview with the AP Pro Football Podcast with Rob Maaddi, Mahomes talked about the importance of Reid to his success.
“He’s meant the world to me. He’s just the best,” Mahomes said of Reid. “He’s the best coach, obviously, one of the best coaches of all time, but he’s just one of the best people of all time. He’s learned how to get the most out of me every day. He doesn’t let me be satisfied with where I’m at. He teaches me a ton. Not only the quarterback position, but how to be a leader and how to be a great dad and how to be a great husband.“
“He lets me be who I am every single day,” Mahomes added. “I think if I’d have went to some other places, I would’ve had to learn how to play quarterback a different way, and he just lets me play the quarterback position the way that I want to play. I think that’s what’s made me such a different type of quarterback in the league.”
Mahomes is right, Reid let’s him play the position as if he were playing a pickup game in the neighborhood. And while that can be risky, it’s worked more often than not for Mahomes. In 2022, Mahomes became a more sound and technical QB, making better decisions and taking what the defense gave him, while on occasion still making the dazzling plays. It’s a huge reason why the Chiefs won a Super Bowl the season after trading star wideout Tyreek Hill. Mahomes matured while still being able to play with the controlled gunslinger mentality that is him.
Mahomes And Reid Are Top QB/Coach Duo In The League
For the better part of 20 seasons the top QB/coach duo resided in New England with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. But with that relationship ending in 2020, Mahomes and Reid quickly ascended to the top line.
What’s scary is this duo isn’t going away anytime soon, and if anyone can chase and challenge the six Super Bowls that BB and TB won together it’s “Patrick Mahomeboy” and “Big Kool-Aid.”
