Patrick Mahomes continues to stretch our imaginations of what’s possible on a football field. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback put together a string of ridiculously athletic feats on a touchdown pass during his team’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.
On a third-and-18 from the 32-yard line, Mahomes had pressure coming from the right and left edge. He was seemingly trapped, but elected to run the ball back to practically the 50-yard line, where he managed to elude his rushers and turn back upfield. That’s when he spotted Byron Pringle, the owner of one of the NFL’s best names, for a 27-yard touchdown pass.
Naturally, the throw was on the run (with defenders in-tow). Naturally, the throw was across his body (which coaches generally tell quarterbacks not to do). Naturally, the throw was a rocket (at a velocity that basically only Mahomes can generate). Naturally, it was a throw worthy of an award.
ESPN’s Next Gen Stats showed just how ridiculous Mahomes’ athleticism was on the play. He was running at 15.6 miles per hour when he released the pass, which is the second fastest speed for a touchdown throw this season. Mahomes makes these look routine, with 15 touchdown passes on the run (at eight miles per hour or more) since 2018.
Because Mahomes is making throws like this on a weekly basis, the magic seems to be going uncelebrated. But this throw was special. Mahomes is special. And I, for one, won’t let that get old yet.
