Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ed Easton Jr.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes details advantage shared by several new receivers

Following the offseason trade of All-Pro WR Tyreek Hill, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs receiver group and its production moving forward.

Three new veteran receivers joined the room in 2022 with the free agent additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson. Each player shares the unique reality of making their names with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady prior to joining Kansas City.

Buy Chiefs Tickets

Making the change to Patrick Mahomes shouldn’t be much of an issue for these players given their experience with Roethlisberger, Rodgers and Brady.  Mahomes feels like it’s actually advantageous to have receivers who played with those three quarterbacks.

He explained that advantage during Wednesday’s press conference.

“I think the biggest thing coming from quarterbacks like that, especially the ones that played a long time and been great for a long time, is they understand how to do stuff the way the quarterback wants it done,” said Mahomes. “I mean (they do stuff) not necessarily how it’s drawn up on paper. All three of those guys whenever you tell them something, they make sure to make that adjustment in their routes (because) they know that’s kind of what they dealt with their entire career. Sometimes when you get guys from other places, they just run the route how it’s supposed to be ran, but these guys have a great understanding of not only running the route but understanding the coverage as they’re running it and how it affects everybody.”

Valdes-Scantling was a consistent weapon for Rodgers throughout his tenure in Green Bay, while Smith-Schuster shined as a Pro Bowler with Roethlisberger. Watson was mostly a special-teamer during his tenure in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady, but he learned a thing or two playing beside him.

Each receiver will be counted on in situations where they’ll need to improvise and get open for Mahomes. He seems to have confidence that they all can work within the system, but also stray outside of it when necessary.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.