Sean Payton reveals Saints desperately wanted Patrick Mahomes, claims QB was best college prospect he ever evaluated
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes ended up together but it was almost Sean Payton who got the superstar quarterback.
Speaking on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," the former Saints head coach revealed just how smitten he was with Mahomes before he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. Payton told the story in detail on the show, revealing it was just one pick that made all of the difference.
Here's how he put it:
"He reminded me of [Brett] Favre. Because he had that, not just gunslinger, but he could torque his body and he could create speed on the ball without the feet having to be set or perfectly set. So, some of these off-schedule throws, he was very good at."
Patrick Mahomes in his first game following the Tyreek Hill trade: 30-of-39, 390 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, 144.2 passer rating.
Decent start.
Payton went on to claim that he thought the Saints had found Drew Brees' successor in Patrick Mahomes:
"And I remember when we finished, I said, 'Look, we're going right to the plane. We're not stopping anywhere. No one knows we were here. That's our next quarterback.'"
He continued by narrating the events from Draft Night:
"Flash forward to the draft and we're sitting in that room, we're picking at 11 and gradually the draft is unfolding and Marshon Lattimore is dropping also and we really had good grades on him. And the rule of thumb is if you pick 11, you've got to have 11 players you like."
Your daily reminder that Patrick Mahomes is ridiculous. #Chiefs https://t.co/jlNyUZ1Cn8
Payton went on to reveal that it was down to two players:
"Pretty soon the ninth pick is up and those two are still available and we just need to survive nine. And so nine takes someone else and here we go, ten's on the clock. And [both of] those two players [were available and] we [knew] we were going to get either Mahomes or [Marshon] Lattimore..."
Lastly, he revealed that Mahomes was the best college footballer he had ever evaluated:
"The Chiefs climb into 10 and I turn to the room and I said, 'Here goes Mahomes.' And we took Marshon Lattimore. So both sides win. But he was the best that I've ever evaluated coming out of college. And there's a gap before the next one."
Patrick Mahomes' quick rise
Of course, Patrick Mahomes took off like a rocket as soon as he took over for the Chiefs.
By the end of his third starting season, he had already won a Super Bowl, been to another, and had reached an AFC Championship game as well. He also took a run at setting a new touchdown record, throwing 50 touchdowns in 2018.
Mahomes is basking in the wake of a five-touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals, which helped the Chiefs record a thumping 44-21 victory. He is also preparing for his and Kansas City's next battle against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
The game will start at 8:20 PM EST on September 15.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit the Herd with Colin Cowherd and H/T Sportskeeda.