Generally, my fellow gym patrons don't provide me with the best article ideas, but this one is sticking to the front of my mind like a bad habit.
Patrick Mahomes is a sports fan. Though this statement seems ridiculously obvious, his fandom influences his individual game more than any other athlete today.
Pat Mahomes' career in the MLB is the most apparent inspiration for his son's game. The arm angles and no-look throws we've come to know and love are direct descendants of his shortstop playing days. Prior to choosing football full-time, the Detroit Tigers drafted a pre-Texas Tech prospect. To prove his loyalty to Kansas City and its general fan base, Mahomes has partial ownership in the Royals and seems to have a small hand in turning the tide.
Patrick Mahomes' multi-sport abilities have all been channeled into quarterback mastery.
Over the last two seasons, the drama surrounding such moves from Mahomes has all but died. The only time Chiefs fans are excited about a potential behind-the-back pass is during the offseason. In their era of scraping by in most wins, Mahomes adopted the behavior of a hard-nosed catcher managing a game with a rotating bullpen.
The mastery of the game of football lies in one square foot of real estate: the mind. Even with the league's best defenses scheming to stop Kansas City, the Chiefs' offense has still maintained levels of efficiency that couldn't be accomplished without Mahomes at the helm. Andy Reid's game plans have been nearly perfect dating back to his days in Philly, so Mahomes has been shepherded properly. Without his quarterback of all quarterbacks, Reid could not have reached these levels of success.
Mahomes' X account is routinely shown on ESPN or TNT when Tyrese Haliburton—or someone else (but most likely Hali)—does something ridiculous in the playoffs. His reactions are immediate and congratulatory, so he's probably watching live just like us. Many people have compared Mahomes to Stephen Curry early in his career because of each’s redefinition of their respective games. The deep ball took over both sports and has yet to let go. In the NFL’s case, the deep ball has been stifled, but that's due to adjustments made against Mahomes and the Chiefs. The Eagles and Lions may have beaten the Chiefs to the punch with elite run games, but the philosophy shift occurred when Vic Fangio decided to drop his safeties.
Until Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs' offensive struggles had yet to actually hurt them in any meaningful way. Despite the lack of talent or consistency due to injury, Mahomes was the consummate point guard, keeping heads level through the course of games and seasons. Even at the end of the heartbreaking championship loss, flashes of the past and hope for the future shone with aerial attacks to Xavier Worthy.
Whether he is the king of quarterbacks, an incredible infielder, or a premier point guard, Patrick Mahomes is a phenomenal leader above all. His inherent captainship makes all of these possible, and like most great artists, he tastefully steals to make his own product better.
