Ranking top 5 NFL quarterbacks coming into the 2019 season
1. Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes — there is so much to say about this third-year quarterback. He has one of the strongest arms the NFL has ever seen, his football IQ is already up there with the best in the game and he has a humble attitude and is continually striving to get better.
Awarded with the starting job for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, Mahomes was expected to play well under QB-whisperer Andy Reid. He shocked everybody with his play last year, setting the NFL on fire from the start of the regular season.
Mahomes quickly showed why he was worth the Chiefs jumping up in the first round to get him. In his first full year as a starter, he threw for 5,097 yards, second in the league behind Ben Roethlisberger. He led the league with 50 (yes, 50) touchdowns, which was the second-most ever in a single season behind Peyton Manning’s 55 in 2013.
He also had the second-highest quarterback rating (113.8) and had the highest QBR in the NFL (82.0). He threw for three or more touchdowns in 10 out of 16 games last season which shows that he was something special to watch for the entire regular season,
Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record and berth in the AFC Championship Game. His phenomenal play earned him the MVP award and got him a spot as the cover athlete on EA Sports Madden NFL 20. Let’s not forget the countless sponsorships he received as well thanks to his stellar season. It was a season for the ages and he is poised to have another great year.
He has more time to work with Reid and get a better understanding of the offense. He also will have Tyreek Hill for the season, as the wide receiver wasn’t suspended for his actions off the field. Travis Kelce is one of the league’s top tight ends and Mahomes will have more chemistry with both players.
The Chiefs did lose Kareem Hunt, but Mahomes still dazzled when he was released at the end of last season. Sammy Watkins is still a solid No. 2 receiver and the Chiefs did sign Carlos Hyde as well. Mahomes will have all of his familiar targets back, including a couple of other nice options as well.
Many are wondering if Mahomes will fall into a sophomore slump of sorts in his second year as the starter or fall victim to the “Madden Curse”. Mahomes won’t have to deal with either, though, as his talent and his attitude will prevent any kind of significant drop-off this upcoming year. Mahomes has the momentum of last year on his side, and even though it is unlikely he’ll put up astounding numbers like he did last season he is sure to improve and shred defenses.
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In the span of 16 games, Mahomes has already solidified himself as one of the games best young talents, along with being one of the league’s best quarterbacks. This kind of jump doesn’t happen often, but Mahomes made it happen with his awesome skill set and talent. With all of his pieces coming back, a head coach who specializes in quarterback talent development and a hard-working attitude, the other 31 teams in the league need to fear this man when the season comes around.