Patrick Mahomes couldn’t get a game then debut stats had rivals predicting superstar QB status – now he has contract to match
It is not even a question now.
If you’re lucky enough to have Patrick Mahomes on your NFL fantasy team, you play him.
If Mahomes is on your NFL team, he's your permanent starting quarterback.
Every game. Every Sunday. Always.
But remember when Mahomes was benched for almost an entire season because he wasn’t ready for the weekly grind of the NFL?
In 2023, Mahomes is an international superstar and the biggest name in the NFL, especially now that Tom Brady is officially retired.
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This week, the Kansas City Chiefs QB renegotiated his monster contract to become the highest-paid player in the league for a four-year period.
Mahomes is guaranteed to receive $210.6 million from 2023 through 2026.
Kansas City believes in Mahomes so much that the Chiefs plan to revisit the deal after the guaranteed portion of his record-setting contract ends.
Yet in 2017 a rookie QB from Texas Tech was widely viewed as a risky first-round pick – some criticised the Chiefs for trading up to no.10 to take the young gunslinger – and Kansas City went out of its way not to play Mahomes for almost an entire season.
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Veteran Alex Smith started Week 1, Week 2, Week 5 and Week 16 for a 10-6 Chiefs team.
That’s another thing about Kansas City during Mahomes rookie year - the Chiefs were good in 2017.
Not Super Bowl great but good enough to make the play-offs, lock down an early post-season berth and rest key starters heading into the final regular season game of the season at Denver.
Which is when Mahomes finally entered the picture.
“A great arm. You just saw him tonight, slinging the ball around with no effort, making completions,†said Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, describing Mahomes’ talent during the 2017 pre-season.
But it took 15 real games of Mahomes watching, learning and sitting behind Smith for the Chiefs to finally promote the rookie in a game Kansas City didn’t have to win.
That became the first real glimpse of what Mahomes would become in the NFL.
The first rounder completed 22-of-35 passes for 284 yards and a 76.4 rating, then led a 67-yard drive in 11 plays just before time expired.
Mahomes' NFL heroics started with Harrison Butker kicking a game-winning 30-yard field goal.
It was the perfect pro entrance for Mahomes, who was actually removed from the action and forced to return after third stringer Tyler Bray returned to the bench where he belonged.
Mahomes’ debut received mild coverage in NFL circles but was overshadowed by four teams (New England, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota) winning 13 games.
Tom Brady led the league in passing, Antonio Brown was the top wide receiver and the Philly Special helped the Eagles overcome a whopping 505 passing yards by Brady to defeat New England in the Super Bowl.
Mahomes was only allowed to play in one game that season.
But he caught the eye of veterans on both sides, who praised his talent, accuracy and smoothness.
"He played fantastic," Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt said.
"He's great," then-Denver defender Von Miller said. "He's the quarterback of the future for the Chiefs."
Miller was more right than he knew.
"He has a lot of God-given ability and talent, that’s obvious," Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "Anyone that watches him play can see that."
Smith was given the starting job back for the playoffs.
Kansas City fell 22-21 to Tennessee in an AFC Wild Card game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Smith played well (24-of-33, 264 yards, two TDs) but Tennessee blanked Kansas City 12-0 in the fourth quarter.
At that time, the story was that coach Andy Reid still couldn’t win the big games and Smith wasn’t good enough to lift the Chiefs to the next level.
Mahomes was just waiting for his opportunity to shine.
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In 2017, he was a rookie benched for 15 consecutive games.
Six years later, he has the richest contract in the NFL and appears guaranteed to be a Chief for life.