Patrick Mahomes: ‘Greater Appreciation’ for Winning Second Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl LVII champions, and a lot of the reason why is because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
After a first half that saw him be on the field for just over eight minutes and also aggravate his right high-ankle sprain in his limited time playing, Mahomes came back out onto the field for the second half down 10 points with plenty of work to do in order to complete a comeback. He engineered scoring drives every time he got the ball from that point on, completing 13 of his final 14 pass attempts with a 133.9 passer rating and coming up with one of the biggest runs of the evening. It was nothing short of a brilliant half of football from the regular-season and Super Bowl MVP.
Entering into the season, though, many didn't expect Kansas City to remain at or near the top of the NFL. After all, the team was coming off an AFC Championship Game loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and also lost star receiver Tyreek Hill during the ensuing offseason. Additionally, general manager Brett Veach retooled his defense and brought in plenty of rookies who had yet to prove themselves at the highest level of professional football. Doubters were aplenty in the spring and summer months, but Mahomes thinks having it that way makes this win that much sweeter.
"Yeah, I think it does," Mahomes said. "I wouldn't necessarily say that we were counted out, but there were a lot more critics than there were the previous years I've been here. I told them [teammates] at the beginning of the year, I said, 'As long as Andy Reid's coaching, we're going to have success as an offense and I trust in the leaders we have on that defense.' To go from a team that I wouldn't say was a majority pick to even win the AFC West to win the Super Bowl, that speaks to the guys we have in that locker room."
In just five short years, Mahomes has already cemented his status as one of the better quarterbacks to ever play the sport. Not only is he a two-time MVP, but he's won the Super Bowl MVP award twice and has a pair of rings and five Pro Bowl appearances to boot. On top of that, he owns the record for most total yards by a single player in one season, has a 50-touchdown campaign on his resume and has done no worse than hosting the AFC Championship Game in any season in which he's been the full-time starter. He's been to the mountaintop of NFL success but has also experienced some lows due to the magnitude of games he's played in.
When asked about the difference between his first Super Bowl and this one, Mahomes said he appreciates this win more because of his journey thus far.
"I thought the first Super Bowl was kind of like 'Oh, this is amazing. We won the Super Bowl!,'" Mahomes said. "You're just like a little kid winning a prize at the fair. Whereas this one, you've dealt with failure. You understand how hard it is to get back on this stage and win this game. I've played a Super Bowl where I got blown out. I got all hyped up, then you go out there and you don't do anything. Then I lose the AFC Championship Game in overtime when I thought we had a chance to win the Super Bowl that year. To have a full, brand-new team and have to go through the strain of being better and better every single day, it gives you a greater appreciation of winning this game."
Now a two-time champion and someone who likely sits in a tier of his own compared to his under-30 counterparts at the quarterback position, Mahomes's next task is to add another ring to his collection. For now, though, he has time to celebrate the conclusion of a grueling season that brought much adversity in the form of new personnel, injuries and other challenges along the way. He truly realizes how difficult it is to win the "big game" now, and he's grateful for reaching the top again with his brothers in football and life.
"You'll look back on these games for the rest of your life," Mahomes said. "You'll watch these games when they're on TV and stuff like that. I'm just glad that I get to enjoy it with some of the best men on earth."
