Patrick Mahomes is the Michael Jordan of the NFL (2024)

Patrick Mahomes did it again at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

Down three points with the game on the line, Mahomes drove his team 75 yards for the winning touchdown. He was eight of eight passing. Mahomes rushed for 27 yards on timely runs. He accounted for 92% of the Chiefs yards on the drive between his passing and running. When called on to do his Mahomes magic, Patrick delivers time and time again.

When trailing by 10+ points in regular season or playoffs, Mahomes is still more likely to win the game. His winning percentage in these types of games is .583. (By comparison, Brady’s is .378.)

During NFL playoffs for all-time, Mahomes is first for passer rating, completion percentage, total yards per game, and TD/Interception rating. Mahomes gets better as the stakes rise.

Mahomes’ athleticism, playmaking abilities, and competive leadership make him the Michael Jordan of the NFL.

How Does Mahomes Do It?

In his popular book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell notes that there are some fundamental reasons that strongly contribute to an individual’s success beyond individual talent. Opportunity, cultural background, and practice can play big roles.

Gladwell contends that some very successful folks have enjoyed some inherent advantages. He references how Bill Gates had early access to computers beause of his location and family affluence. Gladwell recognizes that Gates is incredibly intelligent and has great programming skills, but the fact that he had early access to a supercomputer (of which there were few), helped his career significantly.

What are some of the advantages that Patrick Mahomes has benefitted from?

1.) Father Was A Pro Athlete

Patrick Mahomes’s father, Pat Lavon Mahomes, played Major League Baseball for over ten years with many teams, including the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates. In high school, the senior Mahomes earned all-state honors as a football quarterback. He also averaged 30 points per game in basketball. He received college scholarships in all three sports.

It’s pretty fair to assume, that the Chiefs QB has good sports genes. And a father who played professional sports can a play a major role in advising a young athlete.

2.) Exposure to Pro Athletes at a Young Age

In Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd’s great book, Kingdom Quarterback, it’s noted that as the son of an MLB pitcher, Mahomes was often on the field and watching how pros trained and practiced. It’s impossible to assess how much he picked up from these experiences, but it sure seems like learned something. Did Mahomes learn the dedication needed to excel in athletics, the importance of practice, and the need for composure in big moments?

3.) Grew Up in Football-Crazy Texas

The importance of high school football in the state of Texas is legendary. Look no further than the TV series and movie Friday Night Lights. Did this influence Mahomes’ decision to go the football route vs. baseball? Did his time in the bright lights of Texas high school football prepare him for bigger things in college and in the pros?

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4.) Played Multiple Sports Growing Up

Like his father, Patrick played baseball, football, and basketball in high school. He played baseball and football at Texas Tech in college before specializing in football his sophom*ore year.

Many experts believe the cross-learning opportunities from playing multiple sports make for a better one-sport athlete in later years. That appears to be the case with Patrick. Many of his oddly angled passing motions appear to be more of baseball infield throws than a QB’s throwing motion.

5.) Played For Texas Tech With Their Pass-Heavy Offense: “Air Raid”

The Air Raid offense places a premium on throwing the football to intermediate and vertical routes. It has solutions for both man-to-man and zone defenses. Most formations within the Air Raid have four receivers and one running back. Can you think of a better offense to prepare a young QB for the pro ranks?

Before the NFL Draft, Mahomes was asked frequently by NFL teams if he could perform at a high level taking the ball directly under center — most plays in the Air Raid offense are from a shotgun position. As evidenced by his professional record with the Chiefs, Mahomes was able to pick up on direct snaps rather quickly.

6.) Encouraged By His College Coach to Experiment With Passes

Per the Kingdom Quarterback book, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury encouraged his QBs to take chances with throwing motions and tactics in practice. Mahomes’ no-look passes and side-arm tosses were honed in these practice sessions.k

Kingsbury’s approach paid off as Mahomes had an incredible college career at Texas Tech. He threw for 11,252 yards and 93 touchdown passes in three years with the Red Raiders.

In the college football world, many coaches take a “My way or the highway” approach to coaching. Kingbury’s approach enabled Mahomes to experiment and see what worked and what didn’t in practice scrimmages.

7.) Found a Mentor in KC Chiefs’ QB Alex Smith His Rookie Year

When a rookie QB is drafted to play for an NFL team, the relationship between the rookie and the incumbent starting QB can be icy. Aaron Rodgers played behind Brett Favre for three years before taking over the starting role. It has been widely reported that Favre was not a willing teacher. Favre disliked the thought that he was being forced to train his successor.

Luckily for Patrick Mahomes, incumbent Chiefs’ QB Alex Smith recognized Mahomes’ talent and was a helpful mentor.

After the Chiefs won the 2020 Super Bowl, Mahomes gave credit to his Smith.

“He texted me right after the game, saying he enjoyed it just as much as we did,”Mahomes said, “He wasn’t there, but he was part of it — I think that’s the biggest thing. He built the culture that I came into. Alex was the guy that led the team to all these successful seasons and built that winning culture.”

8.) Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid is an Offensive Genius

In today’s NFL, a head coach with an offense pedigree seems to do better than a defense counterpart.

Andy Reid is playing at the highest level with his offense know-how. When a quarterback is throwing to receivers, it’s a tremendous help to have a scheme that generates some separation for receivers from defenders. Reid’s offense can do that. Mahomes, like his teammates, benefits from Reid’s offense expertise.

9.) Playing with the NFL’s Best Tight End Travis Kelce

In 2020, Kelce set the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in one season with 1,416 yards. The nine-time Pro-Bowler and Mahomes have an unspoken way of connecting on the football field.

The Mahomes-Kelce connection has won many a ball game for the Kansas City Chiefs.

10.) Mahomes Commitment To Training

As Netflix’s Quarterback series showed, Patrick Mahomes is committed to doing the necessary work to stay healthy for the NFL season. His personal training sessions prepare Mahomes for the hits, twists, and pounding he absorbs over the course of the year.

It’s not just that Mahomes is talented. He works to get the most from his talent. And the results are evident for everyone to see.

Closing Thoughts

Next year, the Chiefs look to defend their crown and add three-peat recognition to their dynasty’s achievements.

With Patrick Mahoimes at the helm, don’t bet against them.

By Mike O’Halloran

Founder and Editor, Sports Feel Good Stories

Mike co-authored four trivia books for kids under the Smart Attack line. He coached basketball for 15 seasons and has written four books on basketball coaching. He has been a contributing writer for USA Football, the youth arm of the NFL.

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Photo credits: Brian O’Halloran

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