KC Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes needs to start being a little mean

One of the biggest conversations currently surrounding the K.C. Chiefs is where the leadership and culture are during these dark times.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the unquestioned leaders on this football team and has been for some time. However, Mahomes seems to be a bit off this year for whatever reason. In the team’s most recent loss to Tennessee, Mahomes looked demoralized, and when the face of your franchise is in shock and has run out of positive things to say, it’s not a good look.

I think earlier in the season you saw Mahomes get going on the sideline to try to pump up his teammates when the team was struggling, and that’s good for a quick boost in morale in order to spark some better play momentarily. However, at what point does that run out? It probably already has.

Mahomes is certainly a leader but the “Mr. Nice Guy” aura that he possesses doesn’t always help.

Here’s how I would explain Mahomes’ leadership style; Mahomes is a very generous, upbeat guy, and his way of getting the team to play better when they’re down is to lift them up and tell them to stay the course. He’s never going to call a guy out, he’s never going intentionally piss anyone off or anything like that.

Patrick Mahomes needs an edge

What I’m saying is Patrick Mahomes needs to start being a little mean. Now, I know what some of you are probably thinking. “What the heck? What is that going to do? What does that even mean?”. I believe Mahomes should have the right to be more authoritative and demand better play from his peers.

When you take a look at some of the other great quarterbacks in league history such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, those are guys with a certain edge and are willing to let people know when they’ve had enough of something.

We saw it from Rodgers this past offseason when he put Green Bay in limbo about whether or not he’d play. While I’m not saying Mahomes should ever do that, Rodgers stood his ground and sent a message to the front office that he was tired. Rodgers has given off a very “I’m done with this crap” way of carrying himself for some time over the last several years of his career.

I hate Tom Brady as much as everyone reading this, but one thing I can’t help but admit I love about him is he runs the show and he asserts himself no matter what. He tells players when he sees something he doesn’t like from them—not in a demoralizing way, but in a way where he makes teammates aware that they’re skating on thin ice with their play but gives them advice.

Brady is also willing to disagree with his coaches.

You will never see Patrick Mahomes go against Andy Reid. If you were to make a hierarchy of authority within the Chiefs organization, Andy Reid is No. 1. Yes, even ahead of Clark Hunt. If Andy Reid calls a 2nd-and-long run, the Chiefs are running it on 2nd and long. No ifs, ands, or buts. Does anyone else wish Mahomes would audible out of that garbage every once in a while?

I saw Brady go up to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich multiple times this season and say, “Hey, that was a horrible call” or something along those lines and try to get out of it. Mahomes is a good enough quarterback to be able to make those decisions sometimes as Brady does for Tampa Bay.

I’m not saying Mahomes needs to go rogue and start being a jerk to everyone just to get his point across, but when Mahomes sees a personnel decision he doesn’t like from the coaches, doesn’t like a call, or even sees a player not doing his job, he should have the right to speak up and have a say. He’s earned it.

I’m sure Mahomes has thought some of these things before but he just hasn’t ever challenged himself to actually do so. Sometimes, you just got to be honest.