Colin Cowherd is not ready to write off Patrick Mahomes, but he also isn’t handing out the usual avalanche of praise either.
That’s the tension hanging over Mahomes as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in December. The Chiefs quarterback already owns a six-time Pro Bowl nod and three Super Bowl titles, which is more than enough to build a Hall of Fame résumé. But after a season that included Kansas City missing the playoffs, Cowherd thinks the conversation around Mahomes has shifted.
“What if we’ve seen the best of Patrick Mahomes, who’s coming off an ugly injury?” Cowherd said on his show Wednesday.
He pointed to the environment Mahomes entered when he first took over in Kansas City, arguing that the quarterback had a lot more help around him early on than he does now. Cowherd cited a strong offensive line with Pro Bowlers at both tackle spots, Andy Reid in his coaching prime, and an “A” level group of wide receivers and tight ends. He also said the division was far weaker back then, describing the Raiders as the worst team in the league and noting Denver had Vance Joseph as head coach and Case Keenum at quarterback, while Anthony Lynn was coaching 37-year-old Philip Rivers.
“The division stunk!” Cowherd said, before contrasting that with the current landscape: “Now it’s [Jim] Harbaugh and [Justin] Herbert, Bo Nix and Sean Payton, and Fernando Mendoza and Klint Kubiak.”
Cowherd also leaned on Mahomes’ recent statistical dip to make his case, saying the quarterback no longer looks like the unstoppable force he once was. “Over the last 3 years his passer rating is lower than Russell Wilson in that time. His completion percentage in that stretch is worse than Daniel Jones.”
The numbers have backed up at least part of that downturn. Mahomes has not passed for more than 4,000 yards or 30 touchdown passes since the 2023 season.
For now, his status for the Chiefs’ season opener against the Broncos has not been announced. Mahomes, though, is clearly pushing hard to be ready.
“It feels great, pushing every single day, trying to stack days together,” Mahomes said, via NFL.com. “I feel like when you’re tired, sometimes you don’t even think about it.
So, I’m trying to protect it, but at the same time, I’m trying to push it and get myself ready to go for the season.”
Whatever the outside chatter sounds like, Mahomes is headed into the season with plenty of motivation. Whether that leads to a full comeback - or confirms Cowherd’s concern - will play out over time.
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