Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has lit up the league through the first two games of the 2018 NFL season. Head coach Andy Reid feels Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith is a major reason why.
Mahomes spent the 2017 campaign learning under the veteran Smith. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Reid credits his success to their former quarterback:
“I will come back to last year and being in that room with Alex [Smith], having that opportunity to see how he worked,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid explained to reporters on Monday. “For a young guy, that’s invaluable. Alex was not one who was going to hide anything or play games with him or anything like that. He kept it all out in the open and was secure enough, that wasn’t a problem. . . . He came into a good situation with Alex and I said that was priceless for him. There’s no way he could repay Alex with having that experience. That was phenomenal.”
Reid's comments should come as no surprise. He has had nothing but praise for Smith ever since they traded him to Washington this offseason. Since then, he has taken every opportunity he can to thank the veteran for helping to develop Mahomes.
Reid's remarks are indicative of the type of player Smith is. He knew full well that Kansas City had brought in his replacement when they selected Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Rather than withholding information that would delay the rookie's progression, Smith helped him out in every way he could. It has clearly paid huge dividends for the Chiefs thus far.
Mahomes has gotten off to a historic start to the season. He has completed 38-of-55 attempts for 582 yards, 10 touchdowns, and zero interceptions through the first two games. While it is difficult to imagine he sustains this type of production, it is clear that he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL. He will look to keep the Chiefs undefeated when they host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3.
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