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Kansas City Chiefs: Status Quo at Quarterback Should Not Change

By Jesse Holt

Dec 18, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Titans won 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Titans won 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Kansas City Chiefs have found their future quarterback in Patrick Mahomes II. As a warning to fans, don’t be quick to push Alex Smith out the door, as the team still needs him for the time being.

After 34 long years, the Kansas City Chiefs have finally drafted a quarterback all their own in the first round in Patrick Mahomes II. Regardless of one’s stance on Mahomes versus Watson, fans should be excited. For the record, this writer is in the Watson camp, but is becoming more and more intrigued by Mahomes.

Fans need to remember, however, that the signing of Mahomes shouldn’t affect the status quo at quarterback for the Chiefs in 2017. If the Chiefs want to continue to contend, Alex Smith needs to remain at the helm for at least one more season, if not two.

Mahomes Has Got Some Skill

Patrick Mahomes II is a very raw NFL prospect. His footwork has been suspect at times. He also has shown the propensity to throw across his body at times a’la Brett Favre which gets him in trouble. Patience is going to be key for Mahomes as he works to make consistent throws and limit interceptions.

During his career at Texas Tech, he posted a record of 13 wins and 16 losses. Zero of those wins came against a top-25 team. Remember that Tech’s defense was putrid during that time frame, never finishing higher than 125th of 128 in the country.

Patrick Mahomes has entered a nearly perfect situation for himself with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Don’t get me wrong, there are things I like about Patrick Mahomes like that he has the strongest arm in the draft. Not just anyone can throw a football 60 mph down the field. Mahomes also shows ability to extend plays outside the pocket to allow his receivers time to get open downfield.

Jon Gruden himself claimed he should be the top QB drafted after working with him as part of Gruden’s QB Camp.

"“Which quarterback should be taken first? They put me on the spot with that question after our final QB Camp taping, and the answer was Mahomes.” – Jon Gruden"

Why Sit Behind Smith?

Honestly, Patrick Mahomes has entered a nearly perfect situation for himself with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a team that has almost all of the pieces in place to make a Super Bowl run as we’ve seen. He’s not expected to be the savior of a franchise as he would be in a place like Cleveland.

That being said, he needs time to learn and there’s not many better to learn from than Alex Smith.

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Smith isn’t the beast of a quarterback many wish him to be, but he makes the best use of the skill set he has. His arm is not the strongest in the league by far, but he makes smart passes consistently and limits interceptions. As fans know, his legs also are a weapon for moving the ball when healthy, though he did appear to shy away from running the football this past season.

The biggest way Mahomes can learn from Smith will be in the film room, as Smith is a student of the game and dissects each and every play. In his press conference following the first round, Andy Reid said Smith has elevated the way the Chiefs study film.

Per NFL.com, Mahomes acknowledges the significance of the opportunity he has to learn from Smith.

"“Yeah it’s going to be awesome getting to learn from a guy like Alex Smith, who’s had a ton of success in the league. I’m just going to get in there, work as hard as I can, learn from him, learn from everyone in the organization and the team and be ready to go when the opportunity presents itself.” – Patrick Mahomes II"

Ultimately, this is a plea to fans to just be patient with Mahomes. Give him time to develop and turn into the Super Bowl-caliber player he could be. Don’t rush his development by calling for him to immediately usurp Alex Smith.

Even the great Aaron Rodgers had to sit behind Brett Favre.

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