Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made sure rookie running back Emmett Johnson kept the football after his first NFL touchdown, even after Johnson accidentally left it behind during his celebration.
Johnson scored on a 73-yard reception from Mahomes during the Chiefs’ 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos. The rookie was so excited about the touchdown that he dropped the ball while celebrating and didn’t realize what happened until he returned to the sideline.
Chiefs Rookie Emmett Johnson Reveals What Mahomes Did With His First Touchdown Ball
Johnson explained that he had no idea where the football went after scoring his first career touchdown.
“I just talked to him actually in the locker room. I was just like, ‘Thanks for grabbing that ball,’ because I had no idea where the ball went,” Johnson said in the clip posted on Instagram.
“Because when I came back to the sideline, I realized I had dropped it to do my dance.”
The rookie said he later found out that Mahomes has a habit of collecting footballs when his teammates score their first NFL touchdowns.
“And then apparently Pat is known for, like, grabbing people’s first touchdown ball. So I asked Jay after the game. He’s like, ‘Yeah, Pat grabbed it.’ So it’s in my locker now. So shout out to 15 for that,” Johnson said.
The ball was waiting in Johnson’s locker after the game, giving him a keepsake from his first NFL score.
Emmett Johnson Wins NFL Rookie of the Week After Breakout Game Against Broncos
Johnson’s performance against Denver also earned him NFL recognition.
The league announced that Johnson won the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award for Week 8 after recording 143 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
He caught five passes for 128 yards and added 15 rushing yards on one carry.
His 128 receiving yards were the most by an NFL running back in a single game this season. Johnson also became the only running back to reach 100 receiving yards in a game this year.
The rookie accomplished that while running just eight routes.
His 73-yard touchdown reception was Kansas City’s longest offensive play of the season.
Johnson also broke several tackles during a 15-yard run against Denver.
The former Nebraska running back beat out several other rookies for the weekly honor, including Broncos running back Jonah Coleman, Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Wesley Bailey.
Through the season, Johnson has recorded 314 yards from scrimmage on 34 touches and picked up 11 first downs.
Travis Kelce Praises Chiefs Rookie’s Work Ethic After First NFL Touchdown
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also praised Johnson following his performance against the Broncos.
Speaking on his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce explained how the rookie has approached his development since joining Kansas City.
“The guy’s got (expletive) energy. He plays the game right. He shows up to work with the right mentality,” Kelce said.
“He’s just been absorbing everything he could possibly learn from all the coaches, from DeMarco Murray to Coach Reid, Kenneth Walker, even obviously Bieniemy being, you know, the offensive coordinator, and him being an NFL running back, listening to everything.”
Kelce added that Johnson has benefited from the experience of the players and coaches around him.
“He has the same mentality in that room. That room right now is playing as good as any room in the league. For Emmett to finally have a huge game and get his first career touchdown, I was happy as (expletive) for him,” Kelce said.
Patrick Mahomes Wants More Opportunities for Emmett Johnson in Chiefs Offense
Mahomes also addressed Johnson’s performance following the loss to Denver.
The quarterback said Kansas City needs contributions from its other running backs to help manage Kenneth Walker’s workload throughout the season.
“We’re going to need more of it,” Mahomes said.
“I mean, obviously Kenneth (Walker) is the guy, but you want to be able to take carries away from him, so we can have him for the full entire season.”
Mahomes explained how Johnson’s ability to contribute as both a runner and receiver gives Kansas City another option on offense.
“And if we can come in, and Emmett (Johnson) can come in, be a change of pace, and break tackles, and make plays, catch the ball, do all that different type of stuff, defenses can’t relax.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Makes Special Gesture for Rookie Emmett Johnson After First NFL Touchdown