We’ve seen Patrick Mahomes pull off the incredible before.
He’s made the creative out-of-nowhere flips to running backs and receivers, resembling more sorcerer than quarterback. He’s mortified defenders with his rocket arm and, when he’s had to, made them pay as a runner in the open field. There’s a reason he has the reputation of being the NFL’s best player. The now two-time MVP and Super Bowl MVP could perhaps even be the face of football as a sport itself.
But what the Kansas City Chiefs superstar just pulled off in Super Bowl 57, in an instant classic 38-35 win over the juggernaut Philadelphia Eagles, might be his greatest magic trick yet. To win football’s greatest prize is one thing. It’s impressive and a difficult feat to accomplish for anyone. But to do it while reinjuring your ankle and essentially be weighed down by the ailment throughout the entire postseason is unfathomable.
Well, it’s probably an inconceivable feat for everyone except Mahomes. That also makes one fact clear: We are now in his pro football era, and his alone.
Patrick Mahomes is injured again😔 pic.twitter.com/cvXwam14Tp
— alex (@highIightheaven) February 13, 2023
Bear with me for a moment. Imagine you hadn’t watched the Super Bowl.
If you came to me asking for a recap, among the various noteworthy tidbits, one of my first thoughts would undoubtedly center around Mahomes. With no other context, if I had told you that the Chiefs’ dynamo would aggravate the very same high-ankle sprain that’s bothered him since mid-January, you’d likely have only two questions on your mind:
- What was the final score of the Eagles’ win?
- When is their parade in Philadelphia?
Instead, after Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards brought Mahomes down awkwardly on the Chiefs’ final possession of the first half, he soldiered on. Against what might have been the NFL’s most complete team, while down by a historically significant 10 points at the break, Mahomes somehow kept going.
This was his moment, and not even the stacked Eagles could stop him.
The Chiefs had four possessions in the second half of Super Bowl 57. They didn’t punt, scored three touchdowns, and, in the final moments, notched the game-winning field goal on the last drive. Mahomes was at the heart of their 24-11 storm back to Super Bowl glory.
Not only did Mahomes have just one second-half incompletion (a throwaway), he threw for 107 yards, ran for another 40, and threw two touchdown passes. This closing-possession 26-yard gem, where it’s apparent his ankle is making him labor around much more than he’d like, was emblematic of his legendary performance.
Patrick Mahomes made this clutch run on an injured ankle 😳
🎥 @NFLpic.twitter.com/1Bj0QDrS1k
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 13, 2023
While seemingly down and out, with the Chiefs chasing unfortunate Super Bowl losing failure, Mahomes was virtually perfect. Because he had to be, and no one wearing green could stop him.
After the glow of victory wears down and everyone has appropriately basked in the championship limelight, the immediate discussion after a team’s Super Bowl win shifts rather quickly. The conversation moves from celebrating the pinnacle of a sport to wondering whether the victor can make the same arduous journey back. It’s almost jarring, but it’s entirely reasonable in a climate where we’re hard-wired to ask, “what’s next?”
With the Chiefs, this sentiment has been made largely irrelevant.
They’ve played in three of the last four Super Bowls. They’ve traveled this path multiple times now and mostly came out unscathed. This general thought process has already taken place with them, as they’ve established their own standard of excellence. While people will understandably credit Andy Reid for his steady hand, offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy for being the guiding partner of a dynamite attack, and GM Brett Veach for retooling the Kansas City roster, the Chiefs have made these challenging treks first and foremost because they have Mahomes. None of this is a coincidence with him involved.
I implore everyone to ask two different questions about Chiefs in the weeks and months ahead, specifically regarding Mahomes. Rather than wonder about their seemingly inevitable chances of returning to February’s main event, ask:
- If Mahomes can win a title and notch three playoff wins with an injured ankle, can anyone be expected to topple Kansas City in the 2020s?
- Can Mahomes, who won’t even turn 28 until this September, actually challenge Tom Brady’s Super Bowl glory?
To answer the first question right now, I know the AFC is stacked and has plenty of other elite quarterbacks, but it’s hard for me to envision any of Mahomes’ peers pulling off his Herculean task of the last five weeks. He took it to another level.
To clarify the second question: Brady’s extended longevity at the highest level of football is unprecedented. It should be insurmountable for even the most ambitious soul around. The key word there is should. What Mahomes achieved to capture his second career Super Bowl title is so special I suddenly wouldn’t be shocked if he’s at least eventually putting himself in the conversation alongside Brady’s accolades.
Patrick Mahomes is accustomed to achieving the unthinkable. After winning Super Bowl 57 with an injured ankle, who’s to say he doesn’t have plenty of mind-boggling tricks left up his sleeve?
Welcome to the Mahomes Era of the NFL.
You should probably get comfortable and buckle up. It might be a while.
