Getty Images Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Justin Fields has a long way to go to get on the same level as Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes but former Pro Bowl receiver Keyshawn Johnson sees shades of the MVP signal caller in the Chicago Bears quarterback.
Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the Bears in 2021 and is coming off a rookie season where he passed for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s expected to take a leap in his second season and shined in the Bears’ final preseason game, tearing up the Browns defense. He completed 81.3 percent of his passes for 156 yards and three scores.
Johnson was watching that game and felt Fields’ ability to manufacture offense was comparable to Mahomes.
“You know what he [Fields] has that I just picked up on?” Johnson said on “Keyshawn, JWill and Max” on Monday. “Does he got a little Patrick Mahomes in him? I’m just talking about his ability to move around and throw the football.”
A clip then played of Fields rolling out of the pocket and finding a receiver along the sideline for a first down. The Ohio State product avoided pressure, stepped up and found the open man, which wasn’t overly impressive but got Johnson thinking.
“It just dawned on me right here on this play,” Johnson said. “Bam! He’s out. Eyes down the field, he throws a ball to his left down the sideline. That’s Patrick Mahomes.”
Mahomes Set For Another Big Season With New Faces
It’ll be interesting to see how Fields does this season behind an offensive line that PFF ranked as the second-worst in football and a wide receiver corps with few proven playmakers.
Mahomes, on the other hand, has been an absolute monster since taking over the starting role in Kansas City. And he’s poised for another big year, despite the Chiefs moving on from one of his top weapons in Tyreek Hill.
“He’s a one-of-a-kind player, but as you know in coach (Andy) Reid’s offense, it takes the whole team,” Mahomes said this offseason. “I mean, the offense was rolling before I got here. His offense was rolling when I was a young Cowboys fan watching the Eagles beat up on the Cowboys, so it’s an offense that’s more than one player and that includes myself.”
The Chiefs still have the best tight end in the game in Travis Kelce and new faces JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will try to fill the hole left by Hill’s departure.
Mahomes Named NFL’s Top Player by ESPN
Mahomes recently topped an ESPN list predicting the top 100 players for this season. The list surveyed 50 experts and the criteria was “placed solely on expectations for the upcoming season and predicting potential greatness, rather than past performance, career résumé or positional value.”
“Mahomes is a great playmaker in part because of his ability to complete unconventional throws,” ESPN’s Adam Teicher wrote. “He has completed passes without looking at his intended receiver, throwing left-handed and in numerous other unorthodox ways. No other quarterback has produced like him through 63 career starts, and he is primed for another big season.”
Mahomes came in at No. 8 on the NFL Top 100 Players list put out by NFL Network, which is voted on by the players.
But rankings will only get you so far in the league, but Mahomes has never had a problem proving that the praise is warranted with his play on the field. He’s a top contender for MVP at +750, behind only Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+600).