Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and running back Damien Williams.
W
e’ve seen Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes do some wild things on the football field thanks to his athleticism and arm strength, whether it be off-balance throws, no-look passes, or absolute bombs downfield.
This no-look throw didn’t count but MY GOODNESS @PatrickMahomes 😱
While watching him do it in a game, one has to imagine that on game day isn’t the only time Mahomes is doing that kind of stuff. That’s why it should come as no surprise that he’s involved in some wild antics during practice as well, as some of his former teammates detailed recently.
ALL the latest Chiefs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Chiefs newsletter here!
Mahomes to Williams: Close Your Eyes
During an in-depth piece that involved 15 stories about Mahomes, The Athletic’s Jason Jenks, Rustin Dodd, and Nate Taylor spoke with friends, teammates, and others that have gotten to know the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. One of those stories involved former Kansas City running back Damien Williams, who was once given direction from Mahomes during practice to run with his eyes closed.
Once, at practice, he forced former Chiefs center Austin Reiter to work on taking shotgun snaps on the run. “For fun,” Reiter said. Another time, he made running back Damien Williams run routes with his eyes closed. He really told me, ‘Run straight, put your arms out and close your eyes,’” Williams said.
The playfulness of Mahomes was detailed a bit more following the story involving his requests to Williams and former Chiefs center Austin Reiter.
For Mahomes, there is pure joy in trying something crazy, in doing something that has never been done. “He still sees the magic in the world,” former Chiefs receiver Chris Conley says. That is one constant in every story about Mahomes. He is 26, a Super Bowl champion and an MVP. Every week he makes another play that feels impossible. But deep down, he still likes to just have fun, a fact that influences the go-for-broke way he plays the game.
Mahomes’ Video Game-Type Career
Mahomes’ joy for the game of football combined with his elite talent have led to video game-type numbers during his five-year NFL career. Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2017, Mahomes has thrown for 15,359 yards, completing 66.5% of his passes for 128 touchdowns and 28 interceptions during the regular season, per Pro Football Reference. He was named the 2018 NFL MVP, has one All-Pro nod, and has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times.
Kansas City’s star quarterback has a 40-10 record as a starter during the regular season, which tied him with Hall of Famer Ken Stabler for the most wins for a quarterback in his first 50 career starts since the 1970 merger, per the NFL’s communications department.
Mahomes’ playoff statistics are just as impressive, if not more considering the talent he faces in the postseason. In eight postseason games, he has completed 63.5% of his passes for 2,324 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He has appeared in two Super Bowls, one won while adding Super Bowl MVP to his resume during the team’s win in Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers.