Patrick Mahomes II may be the son of former MLB pitcher, but his sport of choice is distinctly football. The quarterback has played for the Kansas City Chiefs since 2017. Early in his career, he became one of the NFL’s premier players after earning the MVP title in just his second season as a professional. There’s little doubt that Mahomes has been a good thing for the Chiefs. From his debut, he’s been ushering the team into an era of miraculous success few could have predicted. Mahomes is here to stay, and the future of the Chiefs looks bright.
Early Career and College
Mahomes was born in Tyler, Texas, to famous MLB baseball pitcher Patrick “Pat” Mahomes. Pat played for several MLB teams throughout his 11-year professional career, resulting in the family moving around frequently. Mahomes ended up attending Whitehouse High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball. As a senior, he finished with 4,619 passing yards, 50 passing touchdowns, 948 rushing yards, and 15 rushing touchdowns in football. Though impressive, it was in baseball that he caught the eye of recruiters after throwing a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a game his senior year.
After graduating, Mahomes decided to enroll at Texas Tech. The Detroit Tigers drafted Mahomes in the 37th round, but he declined under the assumption he’d enter the MLB Draft again at some point. His decision to pass off signing an MLB contract led him to shift his focus back to football. He started in several games during his freshman year and made his mark after throwing for a record 598 yards with six touchdowns and one interception in the big game against the Baylor Bears.
In his sophomore year, he stepped it up a notch and helped lead the Red Raiders to a productive 7-6 season, leading the Big 12 Conference with 364 pass completions on 573 attempts for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. In his junior year, he formally announced his plan to leave baseball to focus on football.
His junior year ended up being his best, and he averaged 442.5 passing yards per game in September alone. In a game for the ages against Oklahoma a month later, he set multiple records, including an NCAA record of 819 yards of total offense in a game. He also tied with Connor Halliday for the single-game passing yards record with 734 and just missed the NCAA record of 89 passes by one.
2017 NFL Draft
Mahomes ended his college career strong, ranking third overall in passing yards, touchdown passes, attempts, and completions. He also finished as Texas Tech’s second all-time quarterback with 22 rushing touchdowns and chose to forgo his senior year for the NFL Draft. Most analysts and sports pundits expected him to be a first- or second-round pick by scouts. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he put his experienced baseball arms to use and clocked 60 mph passes, tying only Logan Thomas and Bryan Bennett for the fastest pass ever recorded at the showcase.
During the drafting process, Mahomes quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most highly sought-after prospects. Representatives from 28 NFL teams came to see him during his pro day, and he led all prospects with 18 total official visits and private workouts. The Kansas City Chiefs ended up selecting him as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 draft.
NFL Career
Patrick Mahomes’ stats are certainly impressive and few players can throw nearly as fast. He’s made history by accumulating the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in franchise history in just his fifth year of playing as a starter for the Chiefs. From the time he started playing, it was clear he was something special. In his debut, he handed the team a 27-24 win against the Denver Broncos, completing 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards with one interception. Early in 2018, the Chiefs decided to trade Alex Smith, launching Mahomes into the starting quarterback position.
That same year, he became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns in a single season, elevating his status and granting him the NFL’s coveted Most Valuable Player award. He became the first Chiefs player to earn a league MVP award. Previously, he had broken the NFL’s record for the most touchdown passes in a quarterback’s first three career games. In a heated game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his six touchdown passes that ended in a 42-37 victory.
Mahomes became the first quarterback to win back-to-back player of the week awards since Tom Brady, putting him in the best-of-the-best category. He’d also become one of just seven players in NFL history to accumulate 5,000 passing yards in a season at the time, with the others being Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Ben Roethlisberger, and Dan Marino. For his performances, Mahomes became a FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year finalist.
In 2019, he threw for 378 yards and landed three touchdowns in a 40-26 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars despite taking a beating and spraining his ankle in the second quarter. Although he incurred a few notable injuries during the 2020 season, he was able to overcome his adversity and finish out the season with a respectable 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns, leading the Chiefs to their fourth consecutive division title. Though he earned a spot at the 2020 Pro Bowl, he ended up not playing to focus on the Super Bowl instead.
The Chiefs were so impressed with Mahomes that they extended his contract in 2020. The 10-year contract was reportedly worth $503 million, briefly making him the most highly paid athlete in professional football. With the most lucrative contract in the NFL, Mahomes kicked off the 2020 season strong, finishing second to Deshaun Watson in passing yards and second to only Tom Brady in money throws.
In 2021, he set a career-high with 381 rushing yards and continued playing at an elite level. The following year, he again earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award and set the NFL record for the most total passing and rushing yards with 5,608. This also broke the Chiefs own record.
2022 has been another stellar regular season for Mahomes, with a total of 45 touchdowns, 41 passing, and 4 rushing. He led the league in passing with 5,250 yards bringing his career total to 24,241 in just his sixth season. Mahomes also led the league in passing touchdowns and was second in quarterback rating (105.5.)
Not only did he have a great regular season, but he had to overcome adversity after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Jaguars in the playoffs. Nevertheless, Mahomes led his team to victory despite his injury to add to his legend.
Mahomes continues to find ways to amaze and has solidified his position as the premier quarterback in the league, and he is well on his way to a Gold Jacket in Canton.
Awards and Highlights
There’s no doubt that Mahomes has accumulated quite the record in the NFL. With the most career-rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in franchise history, Mahomes has the talent and skill that many quarterbacks can only dream of and he’s not afraid to break more records in the coming years. In just his first season as a starter, he landed a spot at the Pro Bowl, earned First Team All-Pro honors, and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards.
Not only did he win the Super Bowl MVP and help his team earn the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 50 years, but he was also the youngest MVP to do so. Fans, players, and coaches alike have selected Mahomes for the Pro Bowl a total of five consecutive times from 2018 to 2022, highlighting his elite status. He also led the Chiefs to two AFC championships. Thanks to Mahomes, the Chiefs have finally begun to regain their glory from the previous century and make it back into the playoffs.
In the few years since he started playing, he’s shattered several NFL and Chiefs records, making him a true pioneer and the rare quarterback who can consistently rise to the occasion no matter the season. Mahomes has enjoyed historical praise coming from all sides of the game, and recently won his 2nd career NFL MVP award on February 9, 2023 in his six-year career.
Get Patrick Mahomes and NFL Gear
A true record-breaker, Patrick Mahomes has once-in-a-lifetime talent that he’s put to good use as a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. If you’re a big Mahomes fan, there’s no better way to cheer him on than by stocking up on apparel from Fanatics. We sell a variety of officially licensed sports apparel ranging from jerseys to sweatshirts. With our collectibles and memorabilia, you can also remember some of the most stunning moments from his career so far for years to come.
