On This Day: Chiefs pulled a rabbit out of the hat by drafting Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs made a big splash five years ago today when they drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes with their first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was the first quarterback selected by the Chiefs in the first-round since the 1983 NFL draft when they selected Todd Blacklegde.
Mahomes played his collegiate career at Texas Tech University and shined during his time there. In his junior season, he tied the NCAA record for single-game passing yards with 734. He fell one short of the record for most attempts with 88. Overall, the game set NCAA records for most combined yards of total offense with 1,708 combined passing yards and total offense by two players, with Baker Mayfield being Oklahoma's quarterback.
In his three seasons at Texas Tech, the star quarterback finished with 1,349 passing attempts, 857 completions, 11,252 yards, 41 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 152.
Patrick Mahomes has become a league-MVP and Super Bowl winner in his first five years in the league
Mahomes' impressive college career made him a top-10 pick in the 2017 draft that the Chiefs traded up for. So far, he's proven his worth. He sat behind veteran quarterback Alex Smith in his rookie season and appeared in the Chiefs' season finale, where he threw 22 of 35 for 284 yards and an interception.
In his first season as a starter, Mahomes had a stellar sophomore campaign that won him the league MVP. He led the Chiefs to a 12-4 regular-season record. Throwing for a career-high 50 touchdown passes and 5,097 passing yards, The Chiefs made it to the AFC Championship, where they lost in overtime to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 37-31.
In his third season in the league, the quarterback led Kansas City to the Super Bowl, where they faced the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs were victorious, beating the 49ers 31-20 and Mahomes won the Super-Bowl MVP. On that day he threw for 26-42 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Patrick Mahomes wins Super Bowl LIV MVP.
In five regular seasons, Mahomes' career numbers are 18,991 passing yards, 151 passing touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He has also racked up 1,189 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. His overall record is an impressive 50-13. With this quarterback at the helm, the future looks bright for Kansas City.