Most NFL players peak after their first few years, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is different. As in, very different. Mahomes is turning his career into an ongoing quest for improvement, and his latest advance is about his release rate.
Is there actually room for improvement here? Most of us who watch Mahomes on a weekly or annual basis would be skeptical about that, but apparently it’s possible, according to the most recent quarterback rankings in The Ringer.
It’s Mahomes’ ability to spot weaknesses in the defense, according to the writeup about him in these rankings, which have him at a career low when it comes to time to throw. That’s also leading to a career high so far in the quarterback’s scramble rate, with the combination leading to a return of Mahomes’ downfield aggressiveness.
All of this has led to Mahomes rising to second in these rankings, behind quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, with quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills at third. These are the three apex quarterbacks in the NFL, with their weekly numbers mostly determining their position in the rating scale.
But the Kansas City quarterback doesn’t really care about that. Mahomes studies the numbers as intensely as anyone, but he’s all about winning, so that’s his focus.
This time around the improvement dance has been about meshing his new style of quick, decisive passes with that The Ringer refers to as the “big-game hunting” that characterized the first few years of his career. The average depth of his passes is up over eight yards for the first time since 2020 as the Chiefs’ deep passing game has begun to resurface with a vengeance.
Mahomes won’t have much time to take those deep shots this Sunday against the Denver Broncos, though. Denver remains on track to set an all-time record in sacks that dates back to the 80s, which was when the NFL first began tracking them. The Broncos are sacking opponents an average of five times per game, and given the success the Buffalo Bills had bringing pressure against Mahomes, Denver is sure to send the house to keep the Chiefs off balance.
There’s a weakness for Mahomes to exploit here, however. All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II will be out for this one with a lat strain, and his replacements have struggled at times. Mahomes will doubtless try to exploit the backups, and that’s the game-within-a-game chess match that will unfold on Sunday.