Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sends a message to his team after delivering punishing shoulder check to Chargers defender

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sent a message to his team in the third quarter of Week 1 against the Chargers.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Things haven’t been going great for the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in this Week 1 tilt with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Patrick Mahomes is doing everything he possibly can to get his team going.

In some of the most significant moments of his career, Mahomes has relied upon his legs to get things done. He’s sneaky-fast, or just slightly faster than his opponent, as he’ll tell you. It started in this one with an 11-yard scramble on the opening offensive play of the third quarter. He didn’t slide or try to get out of bounds and took a hit square from Chargers LB Troy Dye. He took the punishment on that hit and mouthed something to the effect of, “Bring it on!”

The next time he took off running, Mahomes was the one delivering punishment. Again, he didn’t slide or try to get out of bounds. This time, he set out to shoulder-check Chargers CB Donte Jackson into next week at the end of a 15-yard scramble.

Was this wise or a smart move for the star quarterback? Not exactly. It’s probably a bit reckless from Mahomes, but he’s doing it with the intention of firing up a listless team. It didn’t stop there for Mahomes, either. He wasn’t done making plays with his legs. The first touchdown of the season for Kansas City? An 11-yard touchdown scramble from Mahomes, as he dove for the pylon and put his body on the line once again.

You can call it frustration, but I’d go so far as to call it leadership. He’s telling the other 10 guys on the field that he’s willing to put his body on the line for the win. He’s begging the question, “What are you willing to do?”

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