Patrick Mahomes has had quite a season. He has thrown for 1,865 yards and accounted for 20 touchdowns (18 pass, two rush) in just six games. He's on pace for 53.3 touchdowns over a full 16-game season.
That is, in a word, insane.
Is Mahomes well on his way to becoming a great quarterback?
"I would bet all the money on it," The Ringer NFL writer Robert Mays said on Reiter Than You. "What's the ceiling? Is he the best quarterback in the NFL in the post-Brees/Brady/Rodgers era? I'd put something on that if you gave me the right odds. It's about infrastructure. You watch what they're doing right now and when you watch the team they're going to be by the end of the season – is there any chance that Andy Reid isn't the coach there in three or four years?
"That's the thing with all of this," Mays continued. "When you're watching these young quarterbacks, it's who's going to prop them up? You see McVay doing it to Goff and you see Andy Reid doing it to Mahomes. These guys are going to be really good because they're in situations that makes them really good."
Mahomes struggled in the first half in Foxboro on Sunday, as the Chiefs trailed 24-9 at the break. Then he erupted for four touchdowns in the second half. Kansas City lost 43-40, but Mahomes' leadership – and playmaking – were apparent.
"What he has done pre-snap is just fascinating – and that shows you the value of just sitting there and learning from Reid and (Alex) Smith for a year," Mays said. "I think a lot of people will sit there with a first-round quarterback and say, 'What can you gain from not playing?' Maybe Mahomes will be a misnomer. Maybe he'll be a red herring and it will lead teams to sit their quarterbacks when in reality they shouldn't.
"But there is value in being around smart people and learning the system before you have to be thrown into the fire," Mays continued. "I just think everything I've seen from him in every single moment has led me to believe that he'll be one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, if not the best."
The Chiefs (5-1) host the Bengals (4-2) on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET.
