c/o AP Photo/Nick Wass
On April 27, 2017, The Kansas City Chiefs’ draft pick changed both their own organization and the NFL forever. The Chiefs were slotted to select 27th overall, but in a move that surprised many, they traded up to 10th overall and selected Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes was clearly talented, but scouts worried that the air-raid offense he excelled in at Texas Tech would not translate to the pro level. Further, Kansas City was on the heels of a successful season where they went 12–4, winning the AFC West. There was no reason to select a new quarterback, but the Chiefs loved what Mahomes brought to the table. Seven years later, Kansas City has won six straight conference championships (second most all-time) and two Super Bowls, and Mahomes has captured two MVPs. Patrick Mahomes became one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time before his 30th birthday, and has he changed the landscape of the NFL.
The Chiefs Dynasty and Mahomes’ Success
In his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes did not start. The Chiefs opted to continue with Alex Smith, who led the team to a second consecutive AFC West title before losing in the Wild Card to the Tennessee Titans. Mahomes only appeared in one game, where he threw for 284 yards and no touchdowns. The following off-season, Kansas City moved on from Alex Smith to see what Mahomes could do. In his first game, Mahomes threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–28 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The rest of the season was more of the same, with Mahomes eclipsing 5,000 yards and 50 TDs en route to winning MVP, becoming the second-ever quarterback to win the award in his first season as a starter. The Chiefs made it to the AFC Championship game, where they lost to the Patriots in an overtime thriller where a few questionable calls decided the game. Six years later, after a decisive victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the past five seasons.
Mahomes possesses a unique combination of maturity, knowledge, and childlike joy. His style of play—characterized by off-platform throws, daring passes across the middle of the field, and the invention of new arm angles for delivering passes—has often been likened to that of a 12-year-old playing Madden. While Mahomes earns praise for his remarkable throws, many of his strengths lie in the nuances. He often avoids sacks. Whenever you watch a Chiefs game, at least one play surely makes you wonder: how was he not sacked? Mahomes’ daring but intentional style, calm yet fierce demeanor, and intelligent improvisation are the reasons he is widely regarded as the most talented QB of all time.
Akin to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots dynasty in the 2000s, Mahomes is the driving force on the Chiefs, but not a solo act. Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, recognized as one of the greatest play callers in history, has been the architect of Mahomes’ offensive strategies throughout his career. Mahomes has benefited from the presence of Tyreek Hill, one of the most explosive receivers in the league, and Travis Kelce, considered a top-three tight end of all time. Further, while the Chiefs haven’t consistently boasted an elite defense (with this year being an exception), they’ve found stability in the expertise of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. His knack for formulating diabolical blitzes on crucial third downs has been a key factor in Kansas City’s success. Still, Mahomes is the engine, and Kansas City only goes as far as he takes them.
How Mahomes Has Changed Defenses
Football has long been described as year-long games of chess, with offenses (playing white) developing schemes that defenses (playing black) try to stop. Sometimes these schemes are by coaches, like the West Coast offense Bill Walsh adopted in the 80s, and other times they involve one player doing things never seen before. With Kansas City, it was the latter. During Mahomes’ first four years starting, the Chiefs’ offense took the league by storm, pushing the ball down the field at a historic rate. In each of Mahomes’ first three years, Kansas City led the league in explosive plays. The Chiefs weren’t the only team to see more success in offense (The Chiefs set a record for most points scored in an NFL season during 2020), but—much like Steph Curry did for the boom in three-pointers—Mahomes spearheaded it.
As a result, over the past few years, defenses have begun playing two high safeties more often to limit big plays and keep offenses in front of them, forcing them to string together ten- to twelve-play drives, where there is more room for error. Because of this, offenses are forced to rely on checkdowns and short passes to move the ball. Defenses employed two high safeties on over 55% of passing plays in 2022—the highest rate in league history. Although Mahomes and the Chiefs will still connect on the occasional deep ball, their offense has been forced to redefine itself. It took some time, but Kansas City has developed into a more run-centric offense that utilizes screens and shorts to intermediate throws over the middle.
How the Quarterback Position Has Changed
Before Mahomes, teams employed fundamentally sound quarterbacks who would sit in the pocket and go through their progressions. Teams were looking for guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. Now, players like Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson are drafted with top-five picks because they can throw jump passes and make sidearm throws. The expectation is no longer just to execute scripted plays; the ability to adapt, improvise, and make something out of nothing has become a prerequisite for top-tier quarterback prospects.
To expand on the parallel from Mahomes to Steph Curry: while the popularity of three-pointers was on the rise, it was Curry’s influence that elevated it to a staple in basketball and transformed young players’ approach to the game. It is the same with Mahomes. Although quarterbacks were naturally progressing toward playing outside conventional structures, Mahomes became the face of this movement. His style has rapidly emerged as a prototype, reshaping the expectations for effective quarterbacks and influencing younger players’ aspirations.
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.