How do you succeed this year if you’re Patrick Mahomes? Easy, just take the Kansas City Chiefs to a second Super Bowl title, win the MVP of both the season and the biggest game of all, toss the ball for – oh I don’t know – 5,200 yards and have a regular season record that looks something like 14-3 or better. How do you fail? Don’t accomplish all of the above. That’s essentially how things stand for Mahomes, who goes into the upcoming campaign with a level of expectation on his shoulders that allows for zero wiggle room. It’s his own fault – the 25-year-old quarterback has been so impressive the past three seasons and made historic achievements look so routine that such things are now par for the course. For him, anyway. It’s hardly realistic and no other player is levied with as many demands. As an extension of that, no other player would be judged as harshly if “all” he managed to do over the next few months was, say, to get to the AFC Championship Game but no further. But part of the reason why Mahomes seems to be wearing the pressure with a minimum of fuss is because he expects that no one will be able to touch him. Not in terms of the TD number he reaches or the impossible-looking passes he pulls off, but literally, that no one will be able to lay a hand on him. “I don’t think I got touched today,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 28-25 in their final preseason game last Friday. He expects that to continue. In the stretch of time that followed their Super Bowl defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February, the Chiefs got to work rebuilding their offensive line. Protecting Mahomes has long been identified as a critical factor in ensuring this window of opportunity for the franchise is maximized but the line was left short-handed in 2020 due to a combination of injuries and opt-outs. But then came left guard Joe Thuney from the New England Patriots on a big free agent contract, veteran Kyle Long came out of retirement to join the team, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returned from an absence where he worked in the medical profession and the Chiefs made a big trade for tackle Orlando Brown from the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs also addressed the offensive line in year’s NFL Draft, selecting center Creed Humphrey in the second round out of Oklahoma and then grabbing former five-star prospect Trey Smith in the sixth round. Both are expected to start when Kansas City takes the field in Week 1. The result is a group that, if healthy, can viably be considered one of the best in the league, giving Mahomes a level of protection some elite QBs can only dream of. “The Chiefs are as deep as the ocean on the line,” wrote FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz. Mahomes has played more this preseason than might have been expected, which was largely part of head coach Andy Reid’s plan to get the offensive line unit as much realistic playing time as possible in order to gel together as one. “It’s gotten better each and every week,” Mahomes said, when asked about his relationship with the men in front of him. “They’ve had an amazing preseason. Obviously, they are all really talented. When everybody is on the exact same page is when you get those truly great offenses.” According to three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth, the new-look front makes facing the Chiefs an even more daunting prospect and should allow Mahomes to make a greater impact. “They had one big issue this offseason, that was rebuilding their offensive line,” Schlereth said on FS1’s “First Things First.” “They took that issue very seriously. They look great up front. They allow those guys to stud up and take care of business up front and when they do break down, which happens occasionally, that’s when Mahomes steps up.” While preseason performances must be kept in context, there was nothing to suggest the Chiefs’ Super Bowl favoritism (+500, per FOX Bet) is undeserved. There has still been time to pack a few extra-curricular activities into the late summer for Mahomes, like launching his signature shoe and apparel collection through Adidas, with the footwear selling out immediately. Even more fun, he orchestrated a lavish birthday party for his fiancée Brittany Matthews, complete with signature cocktails, brand new designer dresses and a spectacular view over Kansas City. So yeah, it sounds like it’s pretty fun to be Patrick Mahomes, regardless of all those expectations. Especially when, and this is a little less on the romantic side, there are a bunch of big scary guys whose sole intention is to protect you. Here’s what others have said … John Dixon, SB Nation: “Performances in preseason games can only tell you so much. The true test won’t come until the regular season begins. Still… Mahomes didn’t sound like he is concerned.” LaVar Arrington, FOX Sports: “Going into this season, we don’t know how much longer the Kansas City Chiefs have until they cool off. It’s gotta be Super Bowl or bust for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs because that’s the standard they’ve created in Kansas City.” Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach: “We’ve got a handful of guys, plus some. Maybe two handfuls that we feel are pretty good players.” |
