Mahomes: Chiefs will push ball down the field more often in 2024
With the Kansas City Chiefs adding speedsters Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy this offseason, head coach Andy Reid wants to make sure quarterback Patrick Mahomes pushes the ball down the field more often in 2024.
"If I don't, he throws little jabs at me like, 'Oh, you want to throw the check down here?'" Mahomes said Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "I'm like, 'I got you, coach, we're going to push it.' It has been fun."
Mahomes boasts one of the NFL's strongest arms and orchestrated an explosive Chiefs offense when he took over as the starter in 2018. However, defenses have resorted to more two-high safety coverages in recent seasons to limit the deep passes.
Mahomes finished 2023 with an average depth of target of 6.8 yards, the lowest mark of his career, according to PFF. He posted an average depth of target of 9.5 yards in 2018.
The two-time NFL MVP also threw a career-high 14 interceptions last season. But the 28-year-old said he has improved his ability to get over mistakes.
"This is probably the most comfortable I think I've felt of just being able to not let something affect me," Mahomes said. "When you go up against (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in practice), you're not going to be right 100% of the time, and there's been times where I've lost on blitzes and Spags gets me with the new pressure that he's working on and I think it's just being able to get the ball out of my hand, get it to the check down, or wherever that is and then live to play another play."
Despite the adjustments from opposing defenses, Mahomes and Co. have been able to adapt and create the NFL's newest dynasty.
The Chiefs' offense suffered from drops in 2023, but Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice stepped up in the playoffs en route to a third Super Bowl in the last five seasons. Kansas City added to its wide receiver position in 2024 by signing Brown to a one-year contract and using its first-round pick on Worthy.
Reid's outfit enters the 2024 season trying to become the first-ever NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.