With it being bye weekend in Chiefs Kingdom, Patrick Mahomes II and the rest of the KC roster spent their free time with friends and family. Of course, many also indulged in some NFL action — as spectators rather than athletes.
Mahomes was among those watching the Week 8 slate of games and he recognized one player for an incredible highlight-reel throw that was impressive enough to catch the superstar’s eye.
The moment came in the NFC South matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers when former XFL quarterback P.J. Walker heaved a hail-mary touchdown to wide receiver D.J. Moore. Unfortunately, kicker Eddy Pineiro missed the game-winning extra point after the improbable TD pass and the Panthers ended up losing a heartbreaker in overtime.
Patrick Mahomes Praises P.J. Walker Hail Mary in Week 8
After the throw went viral, so did Mahomes as he shared in the Walker praise on Twitter.
“Has to be the best throw of the year and not even close!” Proclaimed the Chiefs QB. That includes his own highlights, of course.
Mahomes has always been the type to give credit where it’s due, whether after a tough loss or just in general amongst his peers. None of his colleagues ever have anything bad to say about him for that reason, and rivals like Josh Allen or Tom Brady have even turned into close friends on the golf course — or so it appears.
For a journeyman like Walker, this type of shout-out helps him get his name on the map. The Panthers have decided to stick with the 27-year-old quarterback despite the return of Baker Mayfield.
Considering the Carolina season started with two former first-round picks (Mayfield and Sam Darnold) and a rookie (Matt Corral) all duking it out in training camp, Walker felt like the odd man out. He was the fourth QB on the roster and a veteran UDFA out of Temple.
Needless to say, his journey from reserve to starter has been an inspiring one. There’s no telling what the future holds for the Panthers right now but so long as Walker keeps turning heads with throws like that, his phone should keep ringing around the league.
Best of Patrick Mahomes vs 49ers
Speaking of impressive passes, the Chiefs dropped a video ranking Mahomes’ most “improbable completions” of Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.
The first was a recent link-up with JuJu Smith-Schuster on a back-shoulder sideline pass. This reception had a 40.1% completion probability and 0.4 yards of target separation according to the Chiefs.
Love it.
The Athletic Kansas City’s Seth Keysor tweeted out the play at the time, noting that “back shoulder throws [are] becoming (more and more) a part of Mahomes’ arsenal, especially to JuJu.”
Number two was an 18-yard completion to tight end Travis Kelce where the quarterback was hit as he threw the football. This one had a 33.1% completion probability with 1.1 yards of target separation.
The final pass was a little more near the level of Walker’s touchdown bomb, although it didn’t go for six. You might remember Mahomes’ 40-yarder to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling down the heart of the field.
This Chiefs conversion had a completion probability of just 30.3% with 48.4 air yards. The most unlikely pass of Kansas City’s Week 7 victory over the Niners.
We can’t wait for more Mahomes highlights in Week 9 as the Chiefs return to take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football.
Patrick Mahomes Gives Props to NFL’s ‘Best Throw of the Year’ [LOOK]