There seems to be little that Patrick Mahomes can’t do on a football field and this weekend against the LA Chargers he may add another dimension to his near flawless game.
With Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend listed on the team’s injury report, Mahomes could step in to take his place.
“[Mahomes] is our backup punter,” special teams coach Dave Toub said. “He could do it. He shows me all the time he’s out there [at practice]. Boom. That guy, it’s unbelievable.”
As is the case with many NFL stars, Mahomes played multiple roles in high school and was occasionally Whitehouse High’s punter, boasting a 37.8-yard average on 29 kicks. Townsend won’t worry about his job security: he averages 50.4 yards this season, the second-best figure in the league.
The most likely scenario will see Townsend, a first-team All Pro last season, play through his knee injury, as he did last week when he averaged 48 yards a punt. But the Chiefs could rest Townsend later in the game if they build a sizable lead.
If Mahomes does play, it will be the second successive season in which they have taken an unorthodox choice on special teams. In week one of the 2022 season, the safety Justin Reid attempted two extra points – one of them successful – when Harrison Butker sat out the first quarter with an injury. The Chiefs beat the Arizona Cardinals 44-21 in that game.
Mahomes won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season, the second championship of his career, and is a two-time NFL MVP. The quarterback is also a five-time Pro Bowler.
• This article and its headline were amended on 20 October 2023 to reflect the fact the Chiefs are playing the LA Chargers, not the Denver Broncos this weekend. The Broncos are playing the Green Bay Packers
