There were legitimate reasons to be worried about Patrick Mahomes this season. He was coming off the first major injury of his career, with underwhelming weapons in the passing game, and at his blindside was a rookie UDFA who had never before played left tackle for any extended period of time.
It's been three weeks, and it looks like he's healthier than he's ever been. In fact, we're finally getting to see the Mahomes of old again, though that may also have plenty to do with Eric Bieniemy's return and the strong running game headed by Kenneth Walker III.
Opposing teams have tried to make the most of the Chiefs' shaky offensive tackle situation, but to no avail. Time and time again, Mahomes has made teams pay, drawing the highest Pro Football Focus grade (86.2) when pressured among all eligible quarterbacks in the league.
Patrick Mahomes is still the best in the business under duress
Mahomes is on pace, through just three games, for 4,600 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. That would be his best statistical season since 2022. Again, it's not a coincidence to see that happening as soon as he has a functioning running game again, but that's not all.
He's not afraid to take a big hit if that gives him an additional fraction of a second to hit his receiver in stride. He also knows that having one or two additional guys rushing his way means someone else is most likely to be open and in a position to beat his coverage.
Per Pro Football Focus, Mahomes is completing 52 percent of his passes when facing pressure, logging an 11.1 big-time throw percentage, and with an average distance target of 15.0 and 13.9 yards per attempt. His EPA per play under duress is also miles better than any of his peers.
Patrick Mahomes has more than doubled nearly every QB in the league in total EPA when pressured. pic.twitter.com/DBic3xtSGz
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) September 29, 2026
Considering how hard it is to thrive in those situations, and how most quarterbacks either become turnover machines or are much more prone to taking sacks, those numbers are simply elite, even more so for a guy coming off a big injury.
Mahomes attacked his recovery professionally and aggressively, but there has to be more to it. Most players need time to recover their elusiveness and mobility after that type of injury, but No. 15 hasn't missed a beat. He's making guys miss, scrambling his way into big gains, and making throws on the run as if he had never gotten hurt.
Other defenses will ultimately have to adjust and pick their poison with him. Allowing him to stand tall in the pocket is a recipe for disaster, but as he's already shown, bringing in more help hasn't done much to contain him, either.
Maybe like Thanos, Patrick Mahomes is just inevitable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google