“Andy Reid has something up his sleeve” - Chiefs CB La’Jarius Sneed isn’t worried about Patrick Mahomes being without Tyreek Hill
Patrick Mahomes' and Tyreek Hill's chemistry over the last four seasons has been electrifying. But with Hill now a member of the Miami Dolphins, it's fair to question whether Mahomes will be as effective in 2022.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback La'Jarius Sneed was asked in an interview with Good Morning Football Thursday whether or not he was worried about Mahomes having to play without Hill. Sneed was confident that the team would figure it out, saying,
“I mean, you know, that Tyreek and Patrick Mahomes connection was kind of special. But you know, I know Andy Reid has something up his sleeve. I know Patrick Mahomes and the guys they bring in, they’re going to get together and build the empire they built off of.”
The confident cornerback trusts his team to adjust to life without Hill. Sneed also isn't worried about the AFC West competition growing stronger. When asked whether that was something he should be concerned about, Sneed brushed off the concern, saying,
“They can keep building and keep going. We're gonna do what we'll be doing on our end. You know, just handle our business. We’re not worried about the other side though.”
Sneed's faith in Mahomes isn't surprising, given Mahomes has performed incredibly well throughout his career when he's been without his top wide receiver.
Patrick Mahomes has only played four games in his career without Tyreek Hill, all in 2019.
In those games, Mahomes averaged 363.3 yards per game on 8.97 YPA with 8 TDs and 0 INTs. The leading receivers? Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman.
Patrick Mahomes has a new supporting cast in 2022, including JuJu Smith-Schuster
This season, Mahomes will have a new cast of characters around him to replace Hill. Among the names the Chiefs brought in are JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Both wide receivers have never been in roles as featured as the ones they'll be playing alongside Mahomes. But Mahomes already appears to be developing chemistry with his new teammates, as evidenced in a recent workout video.
Mahomes sounds confident in his ability to play well without one of the NFL's most dynamic weapons. While Mahomes and Hill had absurd chemistry, defenses knew the Chiefs planned to throw the ball to either Hill or Travis Kelce more often than not. Now, that must prepare for more than just that.
Patrick Mahomes on how Tyreek Hill being traded can benefit the offense in 2022:
“I’ll be able to spread the ball around more this year and let these other guys make plays happen. … I think it’ll help our offense in a sense where they can’t just focus on Travis and Tyreek.” https://t.co/ESBdR9kflV
Every quarterback with a long, storied career goes through periods where their surrounding personnel changes. If Mahomes is as legendary as he's shown thus far, he'll find ways to adjust and remain a playoff contender in the much-improved AFC West.