There isn't much Patrick Mahomes can do to actually improve his game, at least that's true when one looks at the numbers and accolades Mahomes has recorded since entering the league. Mahomes is one of just two quarterbacks to win NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in his first three seasons and also is the youngest quarterback -- and youngest player ever -- in league history to accomplish the feat.
Mahomes is already on the path to becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks the league has ever seen, but he isn't satisfied with where he's at now despite holding the reign of five of the 10 major passing categories over the last two seasons. As Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs set to take the field for their season opener against the Houston Texans Thursday night, he revealed what parts of his game fans will see a major difference -- improvement -- in from last season to this one.
"I think you're going to see me being able to make adjustments quickly," Mahomes said in a conference call Sunday. "Going into a game like this, obviously we played the Texans at the end of last year, but they had the whole offseason to prepare, especially for us being that first game.
"You don't know what to expect all the way. You have to expect the unexpected and that's what we're going to try to do. We're going to have a game plan for everything, and I'm going to try to make adjustments as quickly as possible so we can get off to a fast start hopefully."
Still just 24 years old (he turns 25 next week), Mahomes already has what's essentially the NFL's version of a triple crown (Super Bowl title, MVP, and NFL MVP). He has thrown for 9,128 yards and 76 touchdowns against 18 interceptions in his two full seasons as a starting quarterback (109.6 rating) and the Chiefs have averaged 32 points per game in his 31 starts -- including scoring over 30 points 19 times and over 40 points seven times.
Mahomes has the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and pass completions in league history through his first 31 starts. In that span, he also has the fewest amount of interceptions and the highest passer rating in NFL history.
Mahomes has been determined to make improvements to his game, showcasing the desire to be great despite all he has accomplished since entering the league. He emphasized that point in an exclusive interview with CBS Sports this summer as Mahomes searches to reach his full potential as a quarterback.
"There's still so much I can improve. The mental part of the game, you learn more and more every single year you're in the NFL, especially at the quarterback position," Mahomes said. "You learn from reps, you learn from seeing different stuff, and we understand defenses are going to keep throwing different stuff at us and combat the stuff we do so well.
"I'm going to keep trying to learn as much as possible. I'm going to keep to drill in the fundamentals. I really have only been playing quarterback for six or seven years. It's not like I've been playing for a very long time at the position, so I'm going to do whatever I can to try and get better and better at the fundamentals.
"When stuff breaks down, I can go back to where I kind of learned how to freestyle play and to let that succeed. I'm excited for this challenge of trying to make myself better and trying to be the best football player I can be."
