We're already done talking about Patrick Mahomes. That, in itself, is the story.
It's not that Mahomes is no longer a draw or conversational interest. That will never change, even long after the future Hall of Famer is retired and coaching Bronze to be the next great QB sensation. Rather, the primary talking points that were supposed to surround the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback are nowhere to be found.
It's only Week 3, and the Chiefs are en route to south Florida for their first road game of the year. As they take the field against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, announcers were scheduled to discuss how Mahomes was coming along in his return from torn knee ligaments. Fans were expected to remain nervous about any potential complications. The state of the depth chart—which features Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier—was supposed to be a greater focus. Instead, none of it matters.
Last Sunday night, in a Week 2 overtime thriller versus the Indianapolis Colts, Mahomes put up the sort of aerial attack that mirrored the glory days of the Chiefs' offense. Kenneth Walker is the catalyst opening things up for Mahomes, and the two-time MVP is taking full advantage of the pressure release. His 382 yards and 3 touchdown passes against Sauce Gardner and company have him ranked among the league leaders after two games, shifting talk of rust or complications to the chances for a third Most Valuable Player award.
Patrick Mahomes has made his comeback story disappear
Consider how astounding that is for a moment.
The Mahomes heroic comeback stories were honestly over-the-top for a short stretch there. Every media outlet was chasing the low-hanging fruit of applauding the Chiefs' quarterback for returning so quickly from a season-ending injury. And it was amazing. He deserved the applause. But an ovation can get a little old when the clapping turns disproportionate, which is what happened at the start of the season. Mahomes was already looking ahead of schedule at minicamp. He was fully cleared at the start of training camp. By the team's Monday Night Football opener versus the Denver Broncos, Mahomes being under center wasn't a surprise to anyone.
The Chiefs no longer have to talk about Mahomes’ knee
That's what makes the lack of chatter about the injury just two weeks later worthy of notice. Perhaps it would be if Mahomes were clearly struggling. For one half, it looked like that might be the case, as the Chiefs' quarterback completed 2 of his first 11 passes back from injury before things kicked in against Denver's defense in the second half. Even with the slow start, the Chiefs employ the league's highest-ranked offense through two games with the Dolphins' sieve of a secondary on tap.
Mahomes has six total touchdowns through two weeks, and has even proved he could move the chains with his signature scrambles in his first game back. He still is dealing with nothing but question marks in the wide receiver room, where separation remains a lost art, and yet he's captaining a thrilling offensive ship once again. The rust is not visible. The concerns have fallen away. The only thing anyone is talking about related to Mahomes is... Mahomes. No asterisks. No qualifiers. No concessions.
That in itself is worth pointing out..
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