Andy Reid didn't believe Chiefs GM Brett Veach when he said draft prospect Patrick Mahomes was 'the best player I've ever seen.' Then he saw the tape.
- Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years on Sunday, captaining the team through an improbable comeback to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
- The title caps off what has been a brilliant two-year introduction to the NFL for Mahomes, who went from relatively unknown backup to Alex Smith to the best quarterback in football.
- Mahomes had inspired awe in Chiefs general manager Brett Veach through his play in college, with Veach telling head coach Andy Reid that he was "the best player I've ever seen."
- Reid struggled to believe the high praise until he saw Mahomes for himself, but was quickly convinced of his potential.
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Patrick Mahomes' brilliance is no secret.
On Sunday, Mahomes led the Chiefs on yet another postseason comeback, erasing a 10-point deficit in the final eight minutes of Super Bowl LIV to defeat the San Francisco 49ers and bring the Kansas City faithful their first championship in 50 years.
After the 2017 NFL draft, no one could have known Mahomes was set to become the breakout superstar he is today, but Chiefs general manager Brett Veach certainly had a hunch.
As Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed in his press conference the morning after his team's Super Bowl win, Veach was a big believer in Mahomes early. Reid said that Veach called Mahomes "the greatest player I've ever seen," shortly after he became a starter at Texas Tech.
"Well I'm going, 'That's a pretty bold statement.' He's seen a few guys," Reid told reporters. "So he kept laying the tape on my desk, and soon I'm going, 'This is like the greatest player I've ever seen.' He was making throws like he made last night."
While Reid and Veach were convinced of Mahomes' brilliance, there were still doubts about whether or not he could maintain his level of play against NFL competition until he joined the team.
"And then you go, 'Let's see how he does this in the NFL. I mean, he can't do all that stuff,'" Reid said. "And then he came to us, and...he started doing all that stuff. The no-looks. And it just kind of came natural to him."
Reid praised Mahomes for his vision, which he described as, unlike any player he's coached before.
"He sees the field, which I appreciate, Reid said. "You could see that in college. And you say, 'Well all quarterbacks see it.' No, they don't. Not like he does. He comes off, and he can tell you accurately what he saw that play. There's video evidence if you're right or wrong every play. And after a bit, you go, 'This guy's unbelievable.'"
Veach's foresight and Reid's trust in his vision has paid off big time for the Chiefs, who will enter the 2020 season as reigning Super Bowl champions thanks in large part to Mahomes' brilliance.
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