Henry McKenna
AFC East Reporter
St. JOSEPH, Mo. – Even Kansas City Chiefs fans seemed bored watching the infamous 10-10-10 drill. In nearly 90 minutes, Andy Reid posted 30 plays, including 10 on offense, defense and special teams.
It was the 12th day of training camp. It was the adrenaline rush of early camp long has gone And it was hot, the wet heat typical of Missouri farmland.
Still, Patrick Mahomes looked like he was having the time of his life.
Just then it occurred to me. Maybe we’ve overdone the Tom Brady vs. Mahomes comparisons. Maybe we’re missing the mark comparing the New England Patriots and Chiefs.
The more I watched Reed, Mahomes and Schaefer at work, the more I realized how different they were from the Bill Belichick-Bride Patriots. There’s no denying that Kansas City is a dynasty, just like New England was. There’s no denying that the Chiefs are the favorites to win the Super Bowl and thus become in the mix to become the first team to ever win back-to-back championships. And yes, Mahomes is why Brady was for the Patriots.
But Mahomes couldn’t be more different from Brady, even if they always draw comparisons to each other.
Brady was hell bent on repetition, intensity and grit. His reliance on structure led to his consistency and greatness. He was the perfect quarterback for Belichick.
Mahomes is a living reminder that football players playthat all this is a game. It is not just game, sure, but Mahomes plays with a joy and creativity that helps him achieve his unique greatness. He’s the perfect quarterback for Reed, who knows how to rock a Hawaiian shirt better than anyone.
The more you watch Mahomes, the dumber he gets. And Reid embraces that no-nonsense side, building the team’s identity around Mahomes’ personality, not just his skill set.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Reid said Monday. “Because he wants new things [in the playbook]. And so you can build it around his personality.”
Most notably, Mahomes’ goofiness doesn’t detract from his competitive spirit. The Las Vegas Raiders recently made fun of Mahomes’ stupidity. Raiders rookie safety Trey Taylor used a Kermit the Frog puppet to find out how Mahomes talks like the iconic Muppet.
And that level of stupidity triggered the QB’s killer instinct.
“It’ll be settled when it’s settled,” Mahomes told reporters.
It was cold. It was a moment to pounce on the bear.
Patrick Mahomes himself gives the Chiefs the best roster.
Over the past few seasons, the Chiefs have lived with Mahomes’ “chiller killer” mentality.
The Chiefs know it’s that mindset that can get them to the Super Bowl in February 2025. And it’s that dual nature that makes Mahomes simply, undeniably great.
All those examples of Mahomes being a killer make it hard to reconcile the guy on Friday in Chiefs camp. The quarterback was blindfolded and played with a dizzying bat before attempting to throw the ball into the net. And he almost hit it.
On Sunday, Mahomes took the field early and started spinning the football around his head like a rainbow in a football. Later in practice, he handled the football like a soccer ball. When he ran into former Raiders and Bucs coach Jon Gruden at practice, Mahomes walked over and said something that got Gruden, backup QB Carson Wentz and general manager Brett Veitch laughing. Then on Monday, Reid called a hook and ladder game during the second round of competitive team drills.
What kind of team does that?
Hook and Ladder written for Play 2.
Well, I guess it’s a chiller killer team. I think it’s Mahomes’ team. And at some point, that stupid play will help the Chiefs win the big game. Bet on it.
Ask any of Mahomes’ teammates and they’ll tell you he’s as entertaining as NFL players come.
I’d be willing to bet Mahomes was the one who engineered the team’s quadruple pass that went viral in July. It’s no secret that Mahomes is the mastermind behind those over-the-top plays (which sometimes go into the game plan). There is genius in letting Mahomes design plays and encourage the team to run them. It continues to mold the offense around him.
[McKenna: Patrick Mahomes is Chiefs’ trick-play engineer. Here’s how they come together]
Mahomes has a special way of balancing the simple joys of football while staying focused on the ultimate goal: another win in February. He doesn’t want this one to be any less than the other three.
If anything, those titles made him want one more.
“For us, I’ll speak for myself, I mean when you don’t win now, it’s bad because you know what could happen if you go out there and win it,” Mahomes said.
Maybe Reid is encouraging Mahomes’ stupidity is that it helps lower the medication.
Given the size of Reid’s board and the speed at which majors set up plays, he asks players to memorize roughly 15 plays a day. This dynasty team still holds training camp at Missouri Western State University, where the players, most of them millionaires, sleep in dormitories. Reid asks a lot from his players. His Hawaiian quarterback shirt helps keep things running smoothly.
Mahomes is a brilliant shooter. He is a brilliant football mind. He is a fantastic leader. We see all that every Sunday.
What is not often the center of attention, but is just as important. the way he lifts the spirits of the managers, the way he reminds his teammates what football is all about. That it’s still a game they played as kids. The leaders are fully aligned with that vision. And that’s one of the biggest reasons why Kansas City can win again.
It’s about Mahomes, who is part goofball, part killer.
Prior to joining FOX Sports as an AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna:.
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