Patrick Mahomes is a shining example of how to develop talent, especially quarterback talent, in the NFL. In his rookie season of 2017, he started just one game, the final game of the regular season, because the Kansas City Chiefs had already clinched their division, thanks to veteran starter and Mahomes’ first mentor, Alex Smith. Despite Mahomes’ raw potential to take the reins, sitting on the bench for a year under the tutelage of Smith and head coach Andy Reid proved crucial to his development.
Fast forward seven seasons as a starter, and Mahomes has three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVP awards, and two league MVP honors. In his first year starting in 2018, Mahomes outperformed most quarterbacks in history by throwing for 5,097 yards – the fifth quarterback at the time to do so – and 50 touchdowns, a feat only Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had accomplished. Smith’s best year, which happened to be the same 2017 season, saw him set career highs of 4,042 yards and 26 touchdowns, numbers that Mahomes eclipsed in the blink of an eye.
Alex Smith’s Message to NFL Coaches
On the latest episode ofThe Rich Eisen Show, Alex Smith, who mentored Mahomes, didn’t hold back when discussing the NFL’s approach to developing young players.
I think we all need to have more patience with these young guys. There’s this mindset in the NFL that players are supposed to be finished products right away. But very few teams or organizations actually give draft picks-not just quarterbacks-the time they need to develop and grow.
He’s right-the league is heavily results-driven, and the massive investments made by owners mean that wins are often the only metric that matters to justify decisions. Smith, who was drafted first overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, knows the struggle firsthand. His rookie year was a disaster, with just one touchdown and 11 interceptions in nine games. “I probably had the worst rookie season ever,” he admitted.
But his career turned around under Andy Reid, who brought him to the Chiefs in 2013 and later coached Mahomes. Smith also praised Reid’s approach, noting that the coach gave Mahomes a full season to learn before thrusting him into action, a patience that paid off spectacularly.
Chiefs’ 2025 Outlook: A Historic Run in Sight
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, the Chiefs are preparing for what could be a historic campaign. It could be Travis Kelce’s final year in the NFL, and Kansas City is looking to become just the second team ever – after the Buffalo Bills from 1991-94 – to reach the Super Bowl four years in a row. They’d also be the first to make it to six Super Bowls in seven years. The Chiefs made smart additions to their roster in the draft, grabbing Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round as a potential long-term anchor.
They followed up with defensive additions in the second and third rounds: Tennessee tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, Louisville pass rusher Ashton Gillotte and California cornerback Nohl Williams. Kansas City’s front office has a knack for strengthening the team through the draft, a big reason they’ve been among the NFL’s elite over the past decade. The formula remains simple: protect Mahomes at all costs. In the two Super Bowls they’ve lost, failing to protect him led to crushing defeats-keep your star safe and victory will follow.
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