Few draft choices in NFL history have changed a franchise’s fortunes as much as the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
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In the past eight years, Mahomes has thrown for 32,352 yards and 245 touchdowns, captured two league MVPs, and delivered three Super Bowl titles along with three Super Bowl MVP awards. The 29-year-old has truly cemented himself as the face of the NFL and the centerpiece of Kansas City’s dynasty.
Yet, as strange as it sounds, history could have played out very differently. Johnny Manziel, the polarizing former first-rounder who flamed out with the Cleveland Browns, once revealed that before Kansas City drafted Mahomes, he was seriously in the mix to join the franchise
Speaking on Maxx Crosby’s The Rush podcast last year, Manziel revealed: “I thought I was going to sign in Kansas City the same year that Mahomes got drafted.”
“So, I think they wouldn’t have taken a quarterback, which thank God they did. I think I could have ended up there,” he added.
At the time, the Chiefs were exploring all quarterback options. And Manziel said he had a few conversations with head coach Andy Reid, who had a reputation for giving second chances.
“I took a couple meetings there and flew up to Kansas City and kicked the tires on it,” he recalled. The Chiefs HC, in Manziel’s eyes, had “seen something” in him as well.
Wild: Johnny Manziel thought he was going to sign with the Chiefs in 2017, which would have prevented Kansas City from drafting Patrick Mahomes.
“I thought I was gonna sign in Kansas City the same year that Mahomes got drafted. So I think they wouldn’t have taken a quarterback,… pic.twitter.com/GJbMRx6tY2
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 21, 2025
But ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be. Manziel, who had been cut by the Browns in 2016 after a turbulent stint marred by inconsistency, never got his second NFL shot in Kansas City. The two parties’ meetings didn’t lead to a deal, and the Chiefs pivoted toward the draft instead, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Originally holding the No. 27 pick, the Chiefs traded a first rounder, a third rounder, and their 2018 first-round pick to leap up to No. 10 and select Patrick Mahomes.
The Texas alum was their first first-round quarterback selection since 1983, and both GM John Dorsey and Reid were unanimous about his potential. Reid later revealed they had “buried him with the kitchen sink” in interviews to test his football IQ, and Patrick Mahomes, unsurprisingly, passed everything with ease.
And while Manziel never returned to the NFL, Mahomes became the gold standard for quarterback play, redefining the position with his blend of arm talent, improvisation, and leadership.
And that is why the title of this story rings so true, because Manziel’s near-arrival in Kansas City could have stopped the Chiefs from drafting the quarterback who would go on to redefine the modern NFL.
Or maybe, just maybe, Andy Reid could have revived Manziel’s career and brought back his college football greatness. Guess we will never know, and if you are a Chiefs fan, we are sure you’d never wanna know.
