The Kansas City Chiefs made quite the transition this offseason after parting ways with quarterback Alex Smith in favor of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As a result, head coach Andy Reid is taking a cautious approach with Mahomes' development prior to the 2018 NFL season.
Despite appearing in just one game in the 2017 campaign, the second-year quarterback clearly showed enough promise to be handed the keys to the offense. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Reid is looking to build on his natural playing style rather than adjust it.
“You surely don’t want to stifle that at all,” Reid said. “One thing that he is blessed with is he has good vision, so you don’t ever want to stifle that and put him in a box with that. Allow him to see. Is there going to be a hiccup here or there? Yeah, there’s going to be a hiccup here or there, but you don’t want to stifle that at all. We’ll see how that goes and monitor as it goes. We don’t miss much, but we’ll continue to teach.”
Mahomes' lone start came against a formidable Denver Broncos defense last season. He managed to complete 22 of his 35 passes for 284 yards and an interception. While it may not have been the strongest debut, it was enough for Reid to officially declare him the starter moving forward.
Despite all the changes Kansas City made this offseason, their expectations moving forward remain the same. That said, there is a certain sense of pressure developing around Mahomes this season. Fortunately, he is well aware that he must perform well if the Chiefs are going to stay atop the AFC West Division.
Mahomes' versatile skill set makes him an obvious fit for this explosive offensive unit. However, it will be on Reid to find that perfect balance to maximize his development this season.
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