At this point in his career, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is head and shoulders above everyone else at the quarterback position in the NFL. He’s the best in the business and is on his way to potentially being the best of all-time.
But while his accomplishments on the field are impressive, some stuff that Mahomes can do — and does do –annoys Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, in the sense that some of the stuff Mahomes does — like a behind-the-back pass in the preseason — gets overhyped.
In a discussion on the latest episode of the “Not Just Football w/ Cam Heyward” podcast that was published Thursday morning, Heyward made clear that he doesn’t believe Mahomes is overrated. But he also made clear that he believes some of the feats he does on the field get overhyped by the fans and the media who get too caught up in the moment.
“I don’t think this player’s the most overrated, but I think we hype up some of the craziest things. I think a behind-the-back pass from Pat Mahomes is the most over-hyped thing I’ve seen in my timeline. Like, we act like he has discovered America for the first time,” Heyward said of Mahomes and the attention he gets, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “Like… Pat Mahomes is a great talent, don’t get me wrong. And then we act like some of these quarterbacks throw these passes that weren’t done 20, 30 years ago. Dan Marino was throwing balls behind his back and playing his tail off. But then we act like Pat Mahomes is the first to ever do it. Like, I can’t stand…we’re all creatures of the moment and we forget about the history of the game.
“It is beyond me that we hype up the dumbest things and say, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy just threw a behind-the-back pass for two yards!’ Okay, wow, that’s a great play. But like, let’s move on. Let’s not think this is the last thing.”
Mahomes pulled off the behind-the-back pass in the preseason against the Detroit Lions, completing it to star tight end Travis Kelce for an 8-yard gain. Prior to that pass, Mahomes had been captured on camera during training camp working on the behind-the-back pass at times, which he later attested to just messing around in practice, keeping things light.
When he pulled it off in the preseason, it led to plenty of coverage, and it occurred on a play in which it supposedly wasn’t drawn up that way.
As Heyward said, it was a great play, a cool one, too. But the amount of hype it generated for a short gain in a preseason matchup was rather absurd. That’s largely what happens with anything Mahomes does.
That’s where it frustrates Heyward, who is a student of the game and appreciates the history of football. While this generation might have never seen anything like Mahomes, Dan Marino is a great pull from Heyward. The former Miami Dolphins star was the gunslinger before it was a true passing league, doing some rather incredible things with the pigskin through the air.
In today’s social media age though, Mahomes is the focal point. Everything he does is considered new and unique. That bothers Heyward, leading to his comments on the podcast.
That should add some intrigue to the Steelers-Chiefs Christmas Day matchup at Acrisure Stadium. Mahomes is 3-0 against the Steelers, including the playoffs, in his career, and has thrown for 988 yards and 14 touchdowns to just one interception in the three matchups.
There is no denying just how great Mahomes is, but Heyward has a point about hyping up some of the dumbest things possible with the star quarterback.
“Not overrated one bit,” Heyward made clear of Mahomes. “But I think as fans and as viewers, we hype up the craziest things.”
Check out the full episode of “Not Just Football w/Cam Heyward” below.
