Let’s get to know Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs new quarterback. I reached out to SB Nation’s Texas Tech blog, Viva The Matadors, to learn a little more about Mahomes from their perspective. Thanks to Zach for answering my questions.
What was your reaction when you first heard Mahomes was going pro?
VTM: I wasn't as surprised as a lot of Texas Tech fans. Yes, he still needed time to develop and work out some of the flaws in his mechanics, but this year's QB draft class was so utterly terrible, his value was going to be super inflated. If he waited until next year, he'd have to go up against the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, who are significantly more talented with much higher potential.
What do you know about the Chiefs and how Mahomes will fit here?
VTM: I know Andy Reid is a top three coach in the league, and though he is pretty much the exact opposite of Kliff Kingsbury, I think he'll be great for the development of Mahomes. I think KC was a decent landing spot. It's a cold weather city, and he has the arm strength to make throws down the field in 30 mph winds in December. I know it's been said for just about every quarterback in this class countless times, but he needs time to develop and get accustomed to an NFL offense before he trots out onto the field.
Was it your impression that Mahomes had control of the offense at the line of scrimmage while at Tech, like he could change the plays? I wasn't sure how well known that was or not.
VTM: He had complete control over the offense at the line of scrimmage. Kingsbury trusts his quarterbacks to make informed decisions based on what he sees. Granted, the Big 12 defenses he was facing were straightforward and not nearly as complicated as he'll see at the next level, but he does have a decent level of experience calling out audibles.
What's one area of his game that makes you nervous about Mahomes as he transitions to the NFL?
VTM: His footwork is atrocious. From what I've been told, it's not as easy to improve a quarterback's footwork as most people think because it's about breaking 10-15-year old habits. It just feels unnatural to the player to switch it up. Mahomes also has a lot of confidence in his arm, and sometimes too much. He will make a stupid throw because he believes he can rely on his arm strength to thread the needle. That may work in college, but when you go up against defensive backs that can run from midfield to the sideline in the blink of an eye, you may get into trouble.
What's a good story about Mahomes that we haven't heard yet?
VTM: He passed on a pretty healthy signing bonus to play baseball out of high school. He threw mid-90s with his fastball and played center field exceptionally well. When he came to Tech, he was going to play both baseball and football, and he did make a few appearances on the baseball field as a freshman. I always thought he had a much brighter future in baseball, but his love for football is what got him to this point.