Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season. However, he has never passed up an opportunity to praise former teammate and Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith.

The Chiefs drafted Mahomes as Smith's successor prior to the 2017 NFL season. Regardless, Smith revealed that he was adamant about doing whatever he could to help the rookie, via Pro Football Talk:

“I remember the first phone call I ever had with him when we drafted him. I said right off the bat, ‘You’ll never have to worry about me ever undercutting you.’ I think it took him off guard. But I just wanted to make that very clear.

Smith's professionalism has been echoed by Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid, and just about everyone in the Chiefs organization. The notion of one teammate helping out another should not be considered out of the ordinary. However, that has proven to be the case at times when it comes to the quarterback position.

There are a number of instances where veterans turned a cold shoulder to younger players on the roster. One such case has been Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger has admittedly withheld information that may help his potential successors with their development. However, it is clear that Smith empathizes with them.

As a former No. 1 overall pick, he knows full well about the pressures of playing quarterback in the NFL. He has largely struggled to find his footing at the beginning of his career. This may be why he aimed to be an open book for players like Mahomes and it has clearly worked wonders for the second-year quarterback.