Did NFL Media Forget About Patrick Mahomes Already?
The NFL sports media world was infatuated with Patrick Mahomes and his record breaking performance as a first-year starter. You couldn't turn anywhere without seeing Mahomes and the Chiefs being talked about. Power rankings on NFL Live, ESPN, FS1, Bleacher Report and anyone else had Mahomes and Reid's offense at or near the top.
Now, just months later, in the NFL's first offseason as the full time starter I'm seeing graphics like this:
If you asked one million people who they want as their QB for the next 10 years and zero people are dropping Sam Darnold as the top guy. SAM DARNOLD? Jets fans aren't picking Sam Darnold as their guy for the next decade. Baker Mayfield, I get it, the Browns are the new sexy redemption story. Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz are forever intertwined. Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold though? Over the mother loving NFL MVP who is younger than Mayfield, Wentz and Prescott? No. Biggest snub since Jace Amaro wasn't a Mackey award finalist.
If a benign list of 5 young QBs forgot Patrick Mahomes, league MVP, the only idiotic list I saw I would have gone about my day. I would have cracked a cold one and rested peacefully on a porch swing listening to some scrappy sports talk radio, but no. That wasn't the only off-season graphic snub for Patrick Mahomes this week.
SNF on NBC has nine other NFL quarterback's they'd rather have in crunch time than Patrick Mahomes. You know, the NFL MVP. The guy who just threw for 5,000 yards and 50 tugs. The one who led a last minute touchdown drive in the AFC Championship early this year.
They'd rather have Tom Brady, Drew Brees and *checks notes* Kirk Cousins.
What kind of alternate universe are we living in where an MVP gets left off a nine person list for anything involving that sport? I can understand if you picked two or three names and Mahomes didn't make the cut. Brady, Brees and Aaron Rodgers have the history and Super Bowl trophies to get the credit. Russell Wilson can be added to the top tier.
You could argue Big Ben and I wouldn't put up much of a fight except for telling you he's way off the cliff and not close to prime Big Ben anymore. Dak Prescott and Matt Stafford have the game winning drive numbers to at least get a mention, but Kirk Cousins and the man who lost a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl being on a list over the reigning league MVP is laughable.
For what it's worth I'd choose Patrick Mahomes in the first graphic and Aaron Rodgers in the second because nobody throws a better Hail Mary ball than Rodgers and I have been personally victimized by him too many times to not give him the credit he deserves.
Also, I hope this is an anti jinx and Aaron Rodgers finally chokes in a big moment next season.