Getty Image / Chris Graythen
Since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, they have regularly been one of the NFL’s best offenses.
That success has come in spite of one thing missing from their offense over the last few years.
Since Patrick Mahomes was injured running a QB sneak back in 2019, the team hasn’t let him take the risk anymore.
After practice today. Mahomes told the media that he wants the team to run the sneak more.
Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is eager to utilize the quarterback sneak on short-yardage plays this season. | from: @EdEastonJr https://t.co/2IHWLImOVi
— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) August 17, 2023
“[The difference is] probably because my kneecap was on the side of my leg,” Mahomes said (via Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr). “I think we were doing pretty good until that. No, we were good into we were really good at it until last year. I mean, last year, we didn’t do very well at it. So, we didn’t get the one in the first one. This is the preseason, so we’ve kind of we’ve went back and kind of evaluated it. And hopefully, by the time season comes around, we can get back to converting those.”
He also added that he thinks the Super Bowl might be the only time his head coach lets him try it and he might even have to it himself.
“I’ll always want to because I always say that I haven’t got stopped yet,” Mahomes said. “Because even the one that my knee I got hurt on, I still got the first down. But I’m pretty sure he’s not going to let me do it unless it’s like for the Super Bowl, and so I might have to call my own number in the Super Bowl if we get there.”
Interestingly, the Chiefs just won a Super Bowl against a team that had a ton of success with the QB sneak.
It seems pretty unlikely we’ll see more of it from the Kansas City Chiefs for one big reason. They just don’t need it during the regular season.
The Chiefs are probably going to win at least 12 games again this year whether they run the QB sneak or not. It just isn’t worth the risk to arguably the most impactful player in the NFL.
If it came down to it in a Super Bowl, Andy Reid might take the chance, but there will need to be pretty high stakes for him to risk Patrick Mahomes’ health.