NFL
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Is Cruising to Another MVP Title, According to NFL Executives
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished24 Dec 2020
While Patrick Mahomes has only played a handful of NFL seasons so far, it’s safe to say that he’s made quite the impact. In two full seasons as a starter, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback already has an MVP title and a Super Bowl championship under his belt. The 2020 season, it seems, could also include a bit more silverware.
Even if the Kansas City Chiefs can’t make it back to the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes has a pretty good shot at taking home his second NFL MVP title. According to a survey of some high-ranking NFL executives, the quarterback is cruising toward the honor.
Patrick Mahomes has already built up quite the resume
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In the world of sports, there have been plenty of players who put up impressive numbers but never won that all-important championship. Patrick Mahomes, however, will never have to worry about that potential problem.
Mahomes, of course, joined the Kansas City Chiefs as the tenth-overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft. He didn’t immediately see action, though, and spent his rookie year backing-up Alex Smith. Come 2018, however, Andy Reid decided that the young quarterback was ready; Mahomes responded by throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also took home the 2018 NFL MVP title.
Although Mahomes’ raw counting numbers were a little worse in 2019—he missed a couple of games through injury, which didn’t help matter—the quarterback stepped up when it mattered. He led the Chiefs to three-straight playoff comebacks, culminating in a Super Bowl title. He also claimed Super Bowl MVP honors, adding to his already-impressive resume.
Heading toward another NFL MVP crown?
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With the 2020 NFL season starting to wind down, the MVP discussion has officially kicked into high gear. While Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are the two favorites to earn the award, it seems like NFL executives don’t think it’s much of a competition.
According to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, 13 of 22 surveyed NFL executives believe that the Chiefs quarterback is the league’s most valuable player. “You can’t stop him,” one NFC exec explained. “He is the hardest player to stop in the league. Rodgers is right there. But this guy [Mahomes]— he makes the unique look routine. He’s unbelievable.”
Beyond the eye-test, the Chiefs quarterback does have a good statistical case for the title. “Mahomes’ 2020 campaign is just the fifth instance in NFL history of a QB posting at least 13 wins, 35 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season,” Pelissero continued. The Chiefs have also played a tougher schedule than the Rodgers’ Packers, which could give Mahomes the edge.
It is worth noting, though, that media members, not executives vote for NFL MVP; while the opinions Pelissero hear may be informative, they might not matter when the final ballots are tallied.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs also have their eyes on a bigger prize
In a vacuum, Patrick Mahomes would probably be thrilled with another NFL MVP award. Both he and the Kansas City Chiefs, however, have their sights set on a bigger prize: the Lombardi Trophy.
While repeating as champion is never easy, the Chiefs are doing pretty well for themselves in 2020. Their offense, of course, has a wealth of talented playmakers; their defense, while not perfect, is usually solid enough to give Mahomes a shot to win the game.
The Chiefs have also navigated their way to a 13-1 record, despite playing a pretty tough schedule. They’ve beaten the Ravens in Baltimore, the Bills in Buffalo, the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, and the Saints in New Orleans en route to an 8-0 road record. They also control their own destiny and can clinch the AFC’s first-round bye with one more win.
In his first season as an NFL starter, Patrick Mahomes claimed NFL MVP honors; in his second, he won the Super Bowl. Now, in his third full season under center, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has a good shot to accomplish both feats for the second time.
