Grading the KC Chiefs offense prior to the 2021 NFL Draft

Quarterback: A+

I think probably the most surprising thing I saw from this last season was that a particular national analyst, who shall not be named, claimed that Patrick Mahomes was “in decline” following the Super Bowl. This analyst seemed to forget how well he played during the season and the first two playoff games, and that his stat line in the Super Bowl was largely the result of poor play along the offensive line and drops by his receivers.

It’s funny to think about all the years I watched the Chiefs growing up. I remember how pristine the Dick Vermeil offenses appeared, and they were juggernauts in their own right. The juxtaposition of the following decade of offenses was arguably more jarring because of how dominant they were before. Alex Smith was an admirable captain, but he also had his limitations. There are no such limitations for Patrick Mahomes.

The naysayers might respond, “Yeah, well he’s just a system quarterback! He wouldn’t be anything without Andy Reid and all those weapons!” I actually agree with this in a sense, but not how you might expect. All quarterbacks are system quarterbacks, some are just far more physically and mentally talented than others. Simply take a look back at the 2019 version of Tom Brady, a shell of his former self. After one of the worst years of his career, with an aging offensive cast, he followed that up with one of the best years of his career and won a Super Bowl.

There are numerous examples of this, but the point is, Mahomes has all the tools to be the captain of the greatest and most consistent system in NFL history. Don’t forget, this was only his third year as a starter. With his contract making his average salary below market value for at least the first seven years, expect to see him finesse this system to even greater heights for years to come.