Currently at 4-0 after winning three of the last five Super Bowl crowns, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid now finds himself in the curious position of fixing some problems with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
‘I’m here just to be a teacher, I try to help him out with whatever I can help him out with,’ Reid told FS1’s Colin Cowherd.
Although he sounds like a losing coach discussing a struggling young quarterback, Reid is actually talking about a three-time Super Bowl MVP who has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for the year.
Yet, undeniably, Mahomes has looked shaky over his first four games. He’s thrown more interceptions (five) than all but two other quarterbacks and his current passer rating of 89.7 would mark a personal low stretching back to his rookie season of 2017.
As Reid explained, it’s his job to ensure Mahomes remains his usual confident self: ‘My point to him is keep firing. You’re the best in the business, keep firing. We’ll keep working on the small things as we go there.’
Andy Reid’s message to Patrick Mahomes: ‘You’re the best in the business, keep firing’
Mahomes and Reid talk during the second half of Sunday’s win over the Chargers in LA
Thankfully, Reid explained, Mahomes remains brimming with confidence and exceedingly coachable.
‘First of all, nobody wants to be coached more than he wants to be coached and nobody knows when he makes a mistake better then he knows,’ Reid said. ‘He doesn’t want to throw the interceptions so maybe there is something in there that he can see for the next time.
‘He wants to do well, he is that kind of guy,’ Reid continued, giving a nod to Mahomes’ father, a former Minnesota Twins reliever. ‘Always in the building and that kind of deal. He grew up in a locker room so he’s always around. You don’t get the whole ego thing in there, he just wants to know the whys, where guys are and how he can make it better.’
Of course, that has been difficult with tight Travis Kelce’s slow start and significant injuries to receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, both of whom may be done for the regular season.
Rice, who injured his knee colliding with Mahomes, will need to undergo more tests to determine the extent of his injury.
The good news for Kansas City is the development of first-round pick Xavier Worthy, who now has nine catches for two touchdowns and 154 yards on 15 targets.
