When Patrick Mahomes Admitted He Didn’t Know How to Read Defenses Until After Winning His First NFL MVP

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had a remarkable NFL career, and he’s not even 30 yet. Three Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVPs, and two regular-season MVPs speak volumes about his talent. Mahomes also averages the most passing yards per game in NFL history, throwing 288.8 yards per game.

Still, the man many believe could one day surpass Tom Brady’s legacy wasn’t without his flaws early on. In fact, one issue was big enough to have some fans calling Mahomes a “system QB.”

While quickly becoming one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, Mahomes revealed on HBO’s The Shop that it wasn’t until halfway through the 2019-2020 season that he truly learned how to read defenses. Right before winning his first Super Bowl (LIV) and Super Bowl MVP, Mahomes admitted he was mostly relying on instinct rather than fully understanding defensive tendencies.

“I didn’t understand how to read defenses until like halfway through last year,” Mahomes said. “I understood coverages, but how to be able to pick up little tendencies’ defenses do, stuff that Brady and they have done, they know it, and they just do it, I was just playing.”

“I didn’t understand how to read defenses until like halfway through last year.”

Patrick Mahomes is only going to get better.

(via @HBO) pic.twitter.com/FEAFdNqR5Q

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 6, 2020

Can you imagine someone winning an NFL MVP before being able to read defenses? That’s Patrick Mahomes. Naturally, after that interview clip surfaced again recently, fans didn’t spare the man.

“See System QB [shrugging emoji],” one wrote under the MLFootball tweet.

“Because he walked into a playoff-ready team with a Hall of Fame coach and Hall of Fame players already on the roster. Eazy street from the word, go,” penned another.

Mahomes’ mental game and ability to read defenses have improved quite a bit. Since admitting he couldn’t read defenses until the 2019-2020 season, Mahomes has gone on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023, while also earning another league MVP.

In his eight-year NFL career, Mahomes has already appeared in five Super Bowls, holding a 3-2 record in the big game. He’s thrown for 32,352 career yards, 245 touchdowns, and just 74 interceptions. Additionally, he’s rushed for 14 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards.

Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in football today and is climbing the ladder of the all-time greats. He currently has an 89-23 regular season record and a 17-4 postseason record. He holds numerous Chiefs’ records and NFL records.