Patrick Mahomes made history in the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday - breaking a 50-year franchise record in the process
Patrick Mahomes has smashed a new franchise record for the Kansas City Chiefs in their NFL season opener.
The Chiefs kicked off their quest for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl on Thursday with a 27-20 triumph over the Baltimore Ravens. During the game, Mahomes established a new Chiefs franchise record for all-time passing yards.
A 23-yard pass to Travis Kelce in the second quarter saw Mahomes surpass the iconic quarterback Len Dawson in the franchise's leaderboard. Prior to the game, Mahomes needed just 84 yards to overtake Dawson and the three-time Super Bowl champion has added another accomplishment to his ever-expanding career as a legend.
With the game still hanging in the balance at that point, Arrowhead Stadium exploded in celebration as Mahomes made the record-breaking pass to Kelce. The 28-year-old managed to evade a challenge, dropping his shoulder and sprinting into space to find Kelce who had made a run across the 35-yards line, before being tackled on the 30-yard line.
He shattered Dawson's record in five fewer seasons and just over half as many games as the iconic Chiefs signal caller played. And it was only fitting that the moment came with a pass to Kelce, with the two laying the groundwork of their Super Bowl success.
Mahomes has been showered with praise by former Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, who took to social media to congratulate the young star on becoming the all-time franchise passing leader for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite being traded from the Chiefs to Washington to make room for Mahomes as the starting QB, Smith showed no bitterness, instead heaping accolades on the Texas Tech alum. "Patrick, you’re now the all-time franchise passing leader for the Kansas City Chiefs, I’ve only got one question for you – what took you so long?" Smith joked.
"In all seriousness, what you’ve done for this team, this city and everyone who has ever worn a Chiefs’ jersey is nothing short of incredible. You make us all proud both on and off the field. From the very beginning, we all know you were going to take this franchise to new heights and that’s exactly what you’ve done.
"Keep doing what you’re doing man, I’m so proud and beyond happy for everything you’ve accomplished. Congrats and here’s to many more records."
After leading the Chiefs to victory, Mahomes didn't miss the chance to acknowledge rookie Xavier Worthy's NFL debut. He praised the newcomer for playing with a maturity that belied his years. "He's so cool, calm and collected all the time," Mahomes said.
"You never even see the excitement on him, but he goes out there and makes plays," he continued, as he talked up the rookie's promise. "Obviously, we want to continue to use him more and more, but I thought he had a great day today, making big plays and big moments. Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff.
"You saw when he's out there, they're playing shell coverages. It's getting guys like [Kelce] and it's getting guys like [Rashee Rice] open underneath, and that's what's so great about this offense, is we're able to do all of that, and that's when we're at our best."
