"He welcomed me into that quarterback room" Patrick Mahomes opens up on the impact of Alex Smith early in his career
When Patrick Mahomes was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, he was not picked to be an immediate starter. Most quarterbacks who are drafted that early (10th overall) in the first round are immediate starters, but the Chiefs had Alex Smith.
Smith was a veteran and had done well as the Chiefs' quarterback. Even with Mahomes in tow, the Chiefs opted to roll with Smith for the 2017 season.
Mahomes recently opened up about his mentor on the "New Heights" podcast. He spoke with teammate Travis Kelce and upcoming Super Bowl opponent and Travis' brother, Jason.
Mahomes said:
"At that time, I just thanked him Man. I mean, he could have been someone that just kind of went off and did his own thing. But he welcomed me into that quarterback room.
"I know I'm getting all serious now. But like he didn't have to do that. I mean, he could have just went out there and done his thing and been a great quarterback like he was that year and let me be on my own. But he taught me so much. It helped me become a better player."
He continued:
"Because coming from college, dude, you just kind of go out there and you just you ball. You'll just figure it out out there. But I learned how you you become a pro. And I think that's what made me have so much success early in my career.
"I just watched Alex and was like, Man, I want to do that. I need to do this to prepare myself. And so after he got traded, I thanked him. I had a great relationship with his family. I still do."
Though it might not have worked out as well for Smith, the decision seemed to be a very good one for the franchise.
Why didn't Patrick Mahomes immediately start?
Most top rookie quarterbacks are thrust into a starting role almost immediately. Even the ones who wait, like Justin Herbert, usually don't sit for an entire season.
Why did Patrick Mahomes, who already looks like one of the best quarterbacks in history? There's no way of knowing what all went into the Chiefs' decision there, but it clearly worked wonders.
Perhaps with an early start in his career, he wouldn't have panned out as well. Maybe Mahomes would have an even better career. There's no way to tell, but it seems to have worked out just fine.