Chiefs Facing Backlash for Patrick Mahomes Decision

The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off their preseason with the normal routine under head coach Andy Reid — meaning some limited playing time for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

That has led to some pushback, with Reid and the Chiefs facing criticism for what some see as an unnecessary risk. The team is coming off a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl and they remain a favorite to return to the big game, but keeping Mahomes healthy will be a paramount part of the campaign.

Chiefs Called Out Over Patrick Mahomes ‘Risk’

Reid told reporters on Thursday that Mahomes and his fellow quarterbacks will get equal action in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

“We’re situated off the quarterbacks,” Reid said, via the Kansas City Star. “Each will get a quarter.”

That means Mahomes will be playing more than last season, when he started the preseason opener but left after the first series.

The decision to give Mahomes a bigger workload is drawing criticism. Billy Heyen of The Sporting News wrote that Reid is putting his team at risk by sticking to his normal preseason script.

“It’s the usual plan for Reid, so there’s nothing shocking about it,” Heyen wrote. “There’s still risk involved, of course. Some teams have gone away from playing their QBs at all in the preseason in recent years. Even if it’s a small risk, the chance of an injury when playing against an opponent that’s trying to prove itself against a star quarterback might not be worth it.”

Others noted that Reid always starts the preseason with plans to play Mahomes a full quarter but often deviates, as he did last season when the former league MVP came out after the first drive. Though Mahomes has been mostly healthy this offseason, he dealt with lingering ailments last year including an ankle injury in the Super Bowl.

Some of Kansas City’s rivals have taken a different tack. The Buffalo Bills announced on Friday that reigning league MVP Josh Allen would not appear in the team’s first preseason game this weekend. The Bills have something of a quarterback competition behind Allen, with Mitch Trubisky and Mike White expected to compete for the No. 2 spot.

The Chiefs and Bills have met in the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, with Mahomes and the Chiefs coming out on top every time. All but one of those games took place in Kansas City.

Patrick Mahomes Sees Value in Preseason Action

Mahomes doesn’t seem to mind the preseason plan, telling USA Today that the offense could still use some sharpening before the season begins.

“There’s stuff we’ve got to get better at,” Mahomes said. “Especially myself. There’s plays on the football field that I didn’t make last year, that I’ve made in previous years.

“… I’ve got to be better at executing whenever the shots are there, making those throws. Because that’s going to alleviate pressure on our defense and make them play more free and make the team play more free.”