One week ago, Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs was waving to confetti covered fans under the Disneyworld sun. Mahomes had just come off his first ever Super Bowl victory. The wonder-boy of the National Football League had won the trophy that he coveted the most. He had truly earned a parade, a Disneyworld trip, and a restful offseason.
However, the energy around this Super Bowl seemed different. Perhaps, it was because the headlines weren’t just on Mahomes. Kobe Bryant’s shocking death, the week before rocked the sports world. Maybe it was the fact that there was a blockbuster MLB trade just days after the Super Bowl. It could possibly be the fact that Tom Brady wasn’t in this year’s biggest football game. Please, oh please don’t let this take away from the magic that is Patrick Mahomes.
I stared at my screen wondering whether to title this, “The Man, The Myth, The MVP.” I decided to stick with the original title. Yes, Mahomes was the Super Bowl MVP, but he was the league MVP before that. MVP fits him very well. In 2018, we watched him torch defenses and have a historic year. A year in which he brought home: Offensive Player of the Year, the NFL passing touchdowns leader, and most impressively the Most Valuable Player. By the way, Mahomes is only 24. That can’t be right. Yeah, it’s right this kid is something special.
Unfazed by the pressure of his first Super Bowl, Mahomes had to rally his boys in this game. Late in the third quarter, the San Francisco 49ers had all the momentum. People were wondering, no way Jimmy Garoppolo who had been shocking people all year, gets this one done. Mahomes would have the last laugh.
Down by 10 in the third, the Chiefs stormed back to score 21 unanswered. Led by who? Led by their wonder-boy. Mahomes finished the game with two touchdowns in the air and one on the ground. He threw for 286 yards and won Super Bowl MVP honors after the game.
The MVP honors are great, but Mahomes has had one clear goal ever since coming into the league.
When he came into the league he said, “I came from Texas Tech and had a ton of stats and didn’t win enough games. For me, it’s all about winning. I want to win the Super Bowl. I want to win the championship, and that’s it." This shows he finally was able to get his most coveted prize.
What does the future hold for this superstar? We don’t know, there is no NFL crystal ball. Do we want to start comparing him to the likes of Peyton Manning, John Elway, and Tom Brady? Why not? Mahomes has shown his potential to the world and earned a conversation as the league’s current best quarterback. He’s young, he’s on a loaded team, he has a Tik-Tok famous brother, and has the incredible support of his family and Chiefs Kingdom. It’s hard not to root for this guy to become great.
Football season is over. Start getting ready for next year. Get ready to watch more of Mahomes. This kid is going a long way, and it really is exciting. He’s a wonder-boy, and don’t let anyone tell you he isn’t.