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 became the first quarterback to achieve over 5,000 passing yards in both college and the NFL, and joined Peyton Manning 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 one of four black quarterbacks to win the AP MVP award.

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. Mahomes was among Times 100 most influential people in the world in 2020, 2023 and 2024 which is tied for the second most selections for a professional athlete.

Did You Know?

• Mahomes was born on September 17, 1995, in Tyler, Texas.
• His father, Pat Mahomes, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Mahomes is biracial; his father is black and his mother is white.
• He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft but did not sign.
• Mahomes set NCAA FBS records for single-game total offense with 819 yards in a 2016 game against Oklahoma.