Mitchell Schwartz says Chiefs are invigorated by Patrick Mahomes’ motivation

Mitchell Schwartz says the Chiefs remain invigorated by Patrick Mahomes’ motivation.

If you’re wondering if the defending Super Bowl champs find it difficult to maintain their edge after shedding the proverbial monkey from 50 consecutive seasons without a Super Bowl championship, Mitchell Schwartz has your answer.

When speaking to team reporters Mitch Holthus and Matt McMullen from training camp, Schwartz says the pursuit for excellence, both as a team and as individual players, is woven into the organizational culture. From the team’s leaders on down, everyone is hungry to continue to be the best they can be and not rest on their laurels.

"“I think it starts at the top, with coach [Andy Reid], with Pat [Mahomes],” said Schwartz. “Everyone is very, very critical of themselves. When you look back and you say, ‘We were down by double digits in all those games,’ that’s not where we want to be. We want to start faster. We want to play better throughout. That’s not the goal to win on these crazy runs at the end of games. It’s about winning, but I think we’re all pretty motivated to be a better team, to be better individually.”"

Specifically, Schwartz pointed to Mahomes, arguably the most popular and most talented player in the National Football League, as a signpost for players who might be inclined to coast a bit. Schwartz pointed to a recent quote from offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy who called Mahomes a “competitive prick” (in a positive way) as proof positive.

"“That’s the coolest thing about Pat is that he’s so self-motivated,” said Schwartz. “I mean, we saw EB’s [Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator] quote the other day, but he’s so self-motivated to be better. You look at him and you say, ‘Youngest guy to be MVP and win Super Bowl MVP. He can chill and take it easy.’ But he’s out there harder on himself than anybody. That invigorates all of us.”"

The need to motivate his teammates doesn’t rest on Mahomes’s shoulders, however. Schwartz doesn’t bear that load, either. Instead, the Chiefs right tackle says that it’s hardwired into the character and makeup of the players brought in to compete for the Chiefs under Andy Reid. Each team has a profile of players they’re looking to bring in, and for the Chiefs, it means a willingness to always get better.

"“I think we’re all individually like that,” said Schwartz. “Coach and Brett Veach have done a great job of bringing guys in who work that way or who are wired that way. That thing spreads and it’s just a lot of fun. You’ve seen the competitive nature of how camp is. It’s a lot of guys who think they’re the best, are the best, and want to prove it every day.”"

If the mantra this season is “run it back,” it sounds as if the team’s willingness to do the hard work to repeat won’t be the issue.