The Kansas City Chiefs are operating as if Patrick Mahomes will be on the field for Week 1. He’s pushing for that, even going viral with a workout video last week.
However, that doesn’t mean they’re not being cautious about his situation. That’s why, after losing Gardner Minshew to the Arizona Cardinals, they made sure to land another high-end backup by trading for Justin Fields.
Now, with Andy Reid’s latest praise for the former Ohio State star, it sounds like Mahomes may not be able to fulfill his goal of taking the field for the first game of the season:
“Well, we snuck out and got a good quarterback to back him up,” Reid said, per Judy Battista of NFL Media. “So, if he doesn’t, you know, if he’s not able to make it for the beginning of the season, then we know we’ve got a legitimate backup there that can go win games for us.”
Technically speaking, Mahomes could be ready to roll for Week 1. He may not be as mobile and elusive as he usually is for the first month of the season or so, but he could still be there.
That said, he still has his prime years ahead of him, and the Chiefs would be doing him a disservice by rushing him back to the field when he’s not ready.
We’ve all seen how backups like Mac Jones and Malik Willis have been able to revive their careers by joining contending teams with offensive gurus at the helm. Perhaps Fields can be the next guy on that list.
He’s obviously incredibly talented and athletic, but he’s yet to find his footing in the league, and that may never happen. However, if someone can bring out the best in him, that’s definitely a coach like Andy Reid.