Patrick Mahomes: An MVP on and off the field

After becoming the second quarterback in NFL history to tally 50 touchdown passes and more than 5,000 passing yards in a single season, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stepped off the field, giving backup Chad Henne his first snaps of the season to close out a 35-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the season finale at Arrowhead Stadium.

Arrowhead erupted with a chant as the 23-year-old sensation made his way to the sideline.

“M-V-P... M-V-P... M-V-P…”

The Chiefs had done it. A 12-4 record. A third consecutive AFC West championship. The number one seed in the playoffs, with a guarantee that the Chiefs would play at home through the AFC Championship — and Mahomes’ MVP-worthy season was the catalyst for all of it.

Finally... Chiefs fans have a promising franchise quarterback to call their own.

“M-V-P... M-V-P... M-V-P…”

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

A sigh of relief. A gust of pride. A glimmer of hope.

“It’s special,” Mahomes said about the moment. “This place — Arrowhead — this community and this team. For me, it’s awesome to be a part of it, and I’m excited for the future ahead.”

That’s a future that is likely to include many more MVP chants — at least according to linebacker Justin Houston, who said after the game it was the first time he’s heard anything like it during his eight-year career.

“I am pretty sure it won’t be the last time with that guy,” Houston said confidently.

Media, fans and the rest of the NFL have been enamored with the Chiefs offense, and have been trying to wrap their heads around Mahomes’ ability all the way through this exhilarating 2018 season.

But how do you define the phenomenon that is Patrick Mahomes? Can you sum him up in just one word? Pinpoint the exact difference he brings?

The answer is simple: you can’t.

There are just too many adjectives. He’s too dynamic... too unpredictable... too skilled. You can’t stick just one pretty little label on him and the season he’s had.

But there is one word — one title — that comes close.

“M-V-P... M-V-P... M-V-P…”

“He is so deserving,” head coach Andy Reid told the press after the game. “In a world of great players, for him to do the things he’s done is phenomenal — and he will continue to do that.”

Beyond the awe-inspiring moments on the field — the jaw-dropping throws, game-changing plays and record-breaking statistics — what makes Mahomes a possible the best candidate for MVP are his qualities off of the field.

“His work ethic and everything else is MVP-caliber level,” Reid continued. “He comes to work with a purpose. [He] makes everyone feel a part of it, makes everyone around him better. [He] has done that for our organization, for all of us, his fans and coaches and owner too. He’s been very important.”

Chiefs center Mitch Morse shared a similar sentiment.

“Not only his talent — which is uncanny — but the way he prepares, the way he conducts himself in the huddle,” Morse said. “And then the guy has got a swagger about him that’s infectious.”

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Mahomes’ work ethic, leadership, poise and dedication have all played a part in helping him foster an environment for the Chiefs. But Mahomes said all of it is built on love and support.

“This team, we love each other, we root for each other and that’s why we’ve had such success so far,” Mahomes said proudly.

Regardless of which NFL player takes home the 2018 MVP title, Mahomes has solidified his value to his team — and all of the Chiefs fan base — for the player he is on the field and the person he is off the field.

“For me, it’s all about playing for my teammates and this community, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “No matter what happens on the outside, they know that every time I step on that field, I give it everything that I have. Hopefully, we win a lot of football games doing that.”