The game not counting in the standings doesn’t seem to factor in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ mindset. The reigning MVP was close to adding another incredible highlight moment to his already impressive catalog.
Mahomes was sharp and efficient during his brief stint on the field in Saturday’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He had noteworthy plays, but none more prominent than one pass that failed to connect with wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Mahomes’ first-period incomplete cross-body pass in midair going out of bounds was a fingertip away from being a possible Play of the Year nominee.
The two-time Super Bowl champion explained his mindset while trying to make the throw during his post-game press conference.
“I was either gonna throw it away or kind of give a receiver a chance, and I tried to give Marquez [Valdes-Scantling] a little bit of a chance. I don’t know if he knew I was gonna still throw it cuz I was so close to the sideline.” said Mahomes. “It’s good work. Just being able to scramble around and work that scramble drill. I thought we did a good job of that on a couple of occasions today. So I mean, like, you’re in the preseason game to get good work in. I thought we did a good job today.”
Mahomes would also say that head coach Andy Reid wasn’t too impressed with the attempt.
“Yeah, he told me after the fact that I should have just ran out of bounds. But I was like; I wasn’t gonna get hit. So I mean, as long as I’m not taking any hits, I mean, I can try some stuff out.” Mahomes explained. “You see, the other quarterbacks tried some stuff out too. And so I thought everybody did a good job today. And we definitely had a bit of urgency out there.”
Mahomes has a creative way of approaching the game that it is nearly impossible to predict his decision-making. He has found ways to create a viral moment over what could have been.