‘He owes him a new house’ – Inside the unique ‘phenomenal’ teammate relationship that allowed Patrick Mahomes to flourish
Patrick Mahomes is the cornerstone upon which the Chiefs empire is built.
But without Alex Smith none of it may have come to pass.
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Smith, now retired, was the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2017, fresh off his third playoff appearance in four years and about to earn his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs traded up to No. 10 in the draft to select a young Texas Tech gunslinger by the name of Patrick Mahomes who had undeniable talent but was nowhere near ready to play in the NFL.
Many a QB would have insisted it wasn't their job to mentor a rookie signal caller, but Smith embraced the veteran role and took Mahomes under his wing and showed him the ropes.
"Like, let’s get him here. Let him be around. Let him see how this works," Smith .
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It was a pivotal moment in Mahomes' young career as he learned the ways of the NFL under the tutelage of a consummate pro.
Head coach coach Andy Reid recently raved about Smith's influence, and even joked Mahomes should buy Smith a house because of what he did for him early in his career.
"Phenomenal player," Reid of Smith on SiriusXM. "I wish I would have had him when he was a pup. I should have drafted him but that's alright.
"He [Smith] was great with Patrick. I didn't ask him to mentor Patrick although he let Patrick into his world because he's a good dude."
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"Patrick owes him a new house," Big Red joked.
"He taught him out to be a pro, how to train during the season, how to be a good husband, how to take care of your kids and juggle that part.
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"How to study, put the time in. So all of those things and then Patrick goes to him and then he [Smith] goes on to have the best year of his career.
"Not a coincidence," a laughing Smith replied.
Former No. 1 overall pick Smith finished the 2017 regular season with 4,042 passing yards (8th in the NFL) and 26 touchdowns, both career highs.
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He also had a league-leading 104.7 passer rating as KC finished with a 10-6 regular season record.
However, the Chiefs' season came to an end in the Wild Card Round when they lost 22-21 to the Tennessee Titans, a game that saw Smith throw for 264 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Smith was a solid if not spectacular quarterback who had proven himself capable of leading a team to the postseason.
But the Chiefs had a transcendent talent waiting in the wings who could take them to the next level and eventually needed to be unleashed.
Mahomes spent the entirety of his rookie season on the bench but was given his first career start in the Week 17 game against the Denver Broncos with a playoff spot and the fourth seed already secured.
The Texas Tech alum put all that he had learned from Smith into practice, completing 22-of-35 passes for 284 yards and a 76.4 rating in a 27–24 win.
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With one stellar performance in a meaningless game, Mahomes had shown he was the future of the franchise. In the next offseason, the Chiefs agreed to trade Smith to the Washington Commanders, elevating Mahomes as a starting quarterback.
'Showtime' never looked back, winning two regular season MVPs while orchestrating three Super Bowl triumphs that saw him named SB MVP on all three occasions.
During that storied run, the 28-year-old inked a monster 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs, which was later renegotiated to see him become the highest-paid player in the league for a four-year period.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are now gearing up for a run at an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy in 2024/25.
Success has done little to quell the quarterback's hunger for silverware, though, something he attributes to the early lessons he learned from Smith.
“I think it just comes from the guys before me,“ he said. “I mean, Alex Smith is the prime example. He was playing great football at [a] top level — and he was teaching me at the same time.
"I got brought into this culture, Alex Smith was leading this team and they had the pieces in place."
Smith, meanwhile, endured his own tribulations after leaving the Chiefs.
He suffered a shocking leg injury against the Houston Texans in 2018 that was almost amputated and needed 17 operations over a period of nine months.
He missed an entire season but in 2020 made his remarkable comeback in a Week 5 win against the Los Angeles Rams.
A year after, Smith retired from the sport, but not before being awarded the Comeback Player of the Year and George Halas Award, given to an athlete or coach who has overcome serious adversity.
By all accounts, the 40-year-old who now works for ESPN enjoyed a stellar NFL career. But his greatest contribution to the game of football might be paving the way for one of the greatest to ever do it.
"Alex, by nature, though, was the greatest thing that ever happened to Pat Mahomes," Reid .
"Alex let Patrick into his world without being forced (into) it ... So it worked out (perfectly)."
Mahomes is already considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and another Super Bowl victory this season would cement that status.
He's chasing his fourth Lombardi Trophy this season which would put him three behind NFL great Tom Brady's record of seven, at just 28 years of age.
Mahomes has thrown for 28,424 yards (66.5 percent completion) for 219 touchdowns, 63 interceptions and a 103.5 passer rating for his career.
The Chiefs kick off the new season with an AFC clash with a Baltimore Ravens on 5 September.
It will be a rematch of last season's AFC Championship game when the Chiefs traveled to Baltimore and beat the AFC's No. 1 seed, 17-10.
The win saw KC march onto the Las Vegas Super Bowl where they met NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers.
Mahomes came up with some late game heroics inside Allegiant Stadium, throwing the game-winning touchdown to Mecole Hardman in overtime to clinch a 25-22 victory.
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The Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies since Tom Brady's 2004 New England Patriots.
Now they'll have a chance to do what no team has ever done before and win three consecutive Super Bowls.
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