Patrick Mahomes NFL MVP Award (2018)

Lore & Background

Mahomes played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a junior after leading the FBS in passing yards and total touchdowns. He was selected 10th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 NFL draft and spent his rookie season as the backup to Alex Smith. In 2018, after the Chiefs traded Smith, Mahomes became the starter and threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He joined Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees as the only players to record 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in an NFL season. For his performance in his first season as a starter, he won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards, becoming the second black quarterback to win the AP MVP award.

In Their Own Story

On the sideline, the biting January wind whipped around Patrick Mahomes as he adjusted his helmet, the plastic gleaming under the harsh glare. It was late December, but the air felt heavy with history. He looked down at his hands, still feeling the phantom torque of a no-look pass from earlier in the week—a throw that seemed to defy physics and leave defenders grasping at smoke. The narrative wasn't just about winning; it was about a quarterback who had turned the chaotic artistry of improvisation into a surgical science, leaving the league's best defenses scrambling for answers they didn't possess.

Reader's Guide

In the 2019 season, Mahomes led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years, winning Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes was awarded the Super Bowl MVP for his performance, becoming the youngest quarterback and the second Black quarterback to earn the honor. In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth over $450 million, making it one of the largest contracts in sports history. That season, the Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl but lost in Super Bowl LV. In the 2022 season, Mahomes led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, won NFL MVP, and earned Super Bowl MVP after winning Super Bowl LVII. He won his third Super Bowl MVP after winning Super Bowl LVIII the following year, leading the Chiefs to back-to-back titles. In the 2024 season, he led the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl but lost Super Bowl LIX, falling short of a historic three-peat.

Did You Know?

• Mahomes was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2020, 2023 and 2024, which is tied for the second most selections for a professional athlete.
• He is the godson of former MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, who was his father's teammate on the Minnesota Twins.
• Mahomes threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a baseball game his senior year of high school.
• He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft but did not sign.