How Patrick Mahomes went from a high school baseball star to the most exciting player in the NFL and future of the league

According to ESPN's Seth Wickersham, Mahomes was so good at an early age that he was traded — in tee-ball! He was moved up to play pitch-coach because he was so advanced.

According to The Ringer's Kevin Clark, Mahomes' arm became too strong for backyard catches with his dad. By the time he was 10, he could throw from home plate over the center field wall on a baseball field, a distance estimated to be 200-220 feet.

According to Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star, Mahomes thought his future was in baseball and was afraid of jeopardizing his career with a football injury. His mom convinced him to stick with it, however, because Mahomes liked football more.

He eventually won a competition for the starting quarterback job in high school over his good friend. He wowed teammates and coaches right away with his arm and improvisation.

He told Wickersham that he never really got his name out on the football circuit.

Still, he turned down the chance to go play baseball. Mahomes told Mellinger that he told teams he wanted a $2.5 million bonus to play baseball, a number he made up to dissuade teams. He still was drafted in the 37th round by the Detroit Tigers.

He broke out the following season, throwing for over 4,000 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He continued to improve his junior year, throwing over 5,000 yards with 41 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He set the NCAA record with 819 total yards of offense in a loss to Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma.

However, his draft stock grew throughout the process, as he was eventually considered a second- or first-round pick.

Source: Yahoo's Terez Paylor

Mahones was firmly behind veteran quarterback Alex Smith (who had one of his best seasons in 2017), playing just the final game of the regular season with the Chiefs' playoff spot already locked up.

Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka told Clark:

"There were a couple of throws early on in his rookie year. There was one where he was staring at the sideline, and he just flicked it right over Justin Houston’s head. That was the big one. That was the one where other coaches started noticing. I was working with him, and [former Chiefs OC and current Bears coach Matt Nagy] and some of the other coaches had seen it. But once he started to do that everyone said, 'Oh, he's really doing this.'"

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In Mahomes' first three games, he threw for nearly 900 yards, with 13 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 137 passer rating, while leading the Chiefs to a 3-0 record. They began the season 9-1, with Mahomes throwing for 31 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions.

Including: an Aaron Rodgers-esque scramble and 20-yard bullet to the end zone, a left-handed pass, a no-look pass, a side-arm completion, clutch throws across his body, and plenty of deep bombs.

Mahomes told Clark that he practices every throw he makes — that includes the side arms, lefty throws, jumping throws, etc.

"I know there's a chance I could make those throws in a game," he said. "You want to practice this stuff. You don't want the first time you do it to be in a game."

According to Clark, Mahomes' baseball training seems to have helped him become a different type of thrower than most other quarterbacks, from the way he throws to the trajectory of his arm and ball.

Mahomes warms up with the long toss, like baseball players. During warmups, you might casually see him throw 90-yard passes.

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Some think the game could symbolize a passing-of-the-torch, with Mahomes, a 23-year-old MVP candidate, potentially knocking off Tom Brady, the 41-year-old legend.