Alex Smith is known to be a true NFL mentor for his connection with Patrick Mahomes in his later days in the league. While Mahomes and Andy Reid executed the final master plan and led the Chiefs to Super Bowl victories, one can not ignore how Smith had laid the groundwork for success by building the platform for Mahomes. Recently, the former NFL star was honest about his thoughts when his former team committed to his successor in the 2017 NFL Draft.
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In his recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Alex Smith admitted how he knew his time was limited with the Chiefs when the franchise drafted Patrick Mahomes. That said, he is still considered the reason for the 2x MVP’s early development.
Smith Knew He Was Out of Time When the Chiefs Drafted Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes being drafted by the Chiefs in 2017 is now own of the most iconic stories of the franchise. But it wasn’t such a great story for Alex Smith, who, despite having two division titles, was about to be replaced by a promising rookie. During his recent chat with Pat McAfee, the ex-Chiefs’ quarterback didn’t seem resentful and instead showered praise on Mahomes. He stated,
” I knew when they drafted him that time was running out… After that, you start to see that he is making no-look passes across the middle. He is running the scout team… Just a rare-rare talent. For me, it is his work ethic that no one talks about… Great work ethic, great character and immense competitor… A great dude and incredibly humble and when you look at it like that, it was only a matter of time. He is relentless.”
"I knew when the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes my time in Kansas City was running out..
Nobody talks about his work ethic and he's an immense competitor" ~ Alex Smith#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/WyJAbsBBJD
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 27, 2023
Mahomes got his first start in week 17 of the 2017 season against the Broncos when Smith was sidelined after the playoffs had already been secured. After the loss in the wild-card round and not progressing further in the postseason, the Chiefs decided to move on from Smith, making Mahomes the starting QB, and the rest is history. Nevertheless, it was Smith who mentored and laid the stepping stone for Mahomes to reach great heights.
Alex Smith Was Instrumental in Chiefs and Mahomes Success
The 3-time Pro Bowler QB took Mahomes under his wing, and the Chiefs’ Kingdom is nothing but grateful. It’s no secret how the Chiefs became such a formidable team, and it certainly didn’t happen overnight. Moving onto Mahomes was clearly the right choice, as the team couldn’t get past the playoffs. Nevertheless, fans still appreciate Smith‘s service to the team and they showered love on the former Chiefs in the comments.
One of the fans wrote, “Alex Smith is still one of my all-time favorite QBs. So underrated.”
Another fan chimed in, and stated, “Man I love Alex, nothing but respect for him. He’s the guy(along with Andy) who started the winning culture here in KC and built the foundation for what we are today.”
Thanking him for his service, a fan noted, “Will always be grateful to Alex Smith for taking Pat under his wing.”
Yet another fan wrote, “I don’t think Pat has the kind of success he had early in his career without the mentorship of Alex.”
Lastly, a fan shared his two cents, replying, “He was to Mahomes what Favre was to Rodgers…only nobody got weird.”
Everyone at the Chiefs, including Pat Mahomes Sr. have acknowledged how Smith was detrimental to Mahomes’ development. And as it seems, the fans agree too. Although the Chiefs had to part ways with Smith, they quickly became one of the most formidable AFC powerhouses, proving it wasn’t in vain.
