Patrick Mahomes has built his career on accomplishing things that are rarely seen on an NFL field, and it looks like this trait carries over into preseason play. In the Kansas City Chiefs’ second preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Mahomes wowed throngs of NFL fans. Mahomes threw a behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce for a first down during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium.
The play was met with almost unanimous praise on social media, solidifying Mahomes’ status as the league’s best quarterback and its main draw. Mahomes’s pass caught the entire defense off guard as he found his favorite target Kelce in an open seam in the defense—from where he was able to dive forward to tack on a few extra yards.
Following the game, Mahomes gave reporters an explanation of how the play came about, revealing that Kelce’s mental error of running the incorrect route on the play actually served as the play’s catalyst.
To cut a long tale short, Travis didn’t run the intended course. After then, it was more of a behind-the-back pass since I was upset with Travis. He doesn’t run the flat route that was intended for him. I threw a behind-the-back throw out of malice, but it will now be remembered as a highlight,” Mahomes said following the game.
Despite Kelce running the wrong route, Mahomes’ ability to improvise with the ball not only helped Kansas City pick up a first down, but created a viral highlight in the process as only he could.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to say to everyone. It can’t be planned. It’s gotta be naturally happening in the groove of things… It’s not like I planned that at all or anything, it just sort of happened,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes is capable of evoking such a response from even the most seasoned NFL veterans, players who have been there and done that. Robert Griffin III, who was recently fired from his position as an analyst at ESPN, stated on X/Twitter that no other quarterback could possibly compare to Mahomes when the three-time Super Bowl champion is executing passes of that caliber.
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP, is obviously in a confident mood heading into the 2024 season, when the Chiefs have the potential to create history by becoming the first team to win the Super Bowl three times in a row. Mahomes may not execute a behind-the-back pass in a formal game that counts toward the standings, but Mahomes’ boldness and trust in his teammates are two more qualities that will see him earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
