Patrick Mahomes has started 36 career NFL games, including playoffs, and already has a regular-season MVP and Super Bowl MVP to show for his ridiculous talent.
Entering his third full season as a starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, the potential accolades seem endless for a player capable of making any throw at any moment from any platform to any area of the field. Perhaps the only thing that could stall Mahomes' career is a catastrophic injury. We've seen other signal-callers in the past fall apart after a brutal game takes its pound of flesh.
After dealing with an ankle injury, then missing two tilts with a dislocated knee cap last season, Mahomes is spending the first part of the offseason doing what he can to maintain his body.
"These first few weeks, I've really kind of been building the injury prevention stuff," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio over the weekend. "The stuff I dealt with this year, with the ankle and with the knee, I've really been getting after that and trying to make sure that I can be 100 percent going into this next season, 120 percent, and ready to take on the impact of another entire football season. Every year is different, you've got to find ways to go out there and win football games. As of right now, (the offseason) has been about my body and getting myself in the best shape possible."
Given the sometimes fluky nature of injuries -- he dislocated the knee, after all, on a quarterback sneak -- Mahomes' injury prevention plan can only do so much.
The 24-year-old added that the other aspect of his game he'd like to improve heading into Year 4 is his pocket presence.
"As I get on to it, and start working with my quarterback coach in quarterback drills, I'll work on my footwork and work on that stuff where I can be better from the pocket, and keep getting better because that's an area I still need to improve on," he said. "If I can get better there, extending plays is just a bonus."
These are the types of quotes that coaches, agents and front offices love to hear. Even with the world as his oyster, Mahomes knows if he's not working to improve, he's falling behind.
As for the massive new contract he's expected to sign at some point, Mahomes isn't worried about the deal getting done.
"I'm optimistic just to be able to be a Kansas City Chief for a long time," he said. "The best thing about this team and this organization is they handle things the right way. So, for me, obviously, I'm optimistic of getting that contract and extending my time in Kansas City. I'm just going to go about being who I am just like I have since the beginning since I was the backup until now. That's just to go out there, love this game, treat people the right way, and all that stuff handles itself."
Neither side is under pressure to strike a deal now. With questions about how much the salary cap might increase if the new CBA is ratified, Mahomes could decide to wait to see if it's in his best interest to push a new deal down the road, knowing that he's not leaving K.C. no matter what.
