Patrick Mahomes had one of the greatest seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, and he did it in just his first season as a starter.
In 2018, Mahomes threw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns, the second player to ever do so, winning NFL MVP while leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 12-4 record.
To some in the NFL world, it was a sign of things to come for Mahomes. According to a survey of 55 NFL coaches and executives by The Athletic's Mike Sando, Mahomes has the potential to change the game.
Sando asked survey respondents to put quarterbacks into tiers, with Tier 1 being the best. Mahomes received 48 votes for Tier 1 and seven votes for Tier 2.
"He is as good as I've ever seen," one executive told Sando. "I remember seeing that last game two years ago when he played against Denver, and I said, 'Ho-lyyy s—!' We just could not believe some of the throws he was making. It's ridiculous, and he is only going to get better. How can you not give him a 1? Who is better right now? You would take him over any player in the league."
Another executive told Sando: "He might end up being the best ever. He has got some of the best-ever superpowers."
According to Sando, some respondents put Drew Brees ahead of Mahomes, only because they wanted to see Mahomes produce another season like 2018 before putting him into the same tier as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
One former head coach told Sando that Mahomes might struggle in his second year as a starter because teams will have scouted him more. The coach compared it to Brett Favre's second season when he threw more interceptions than touchdowns.
However, comparing Mahomes to Favre, a Hall of Famer, is still a pretty solid floor if Mahomes does struggle in 2019.
Mahomes became perhaps the most exciting player to watch in 2018, thanks to his big arm, scrambling ability, and creativity. His top plays included no-look passes, left-handed passes, and scrambles that led to awe-inspiring deep throws.
"He is creating some of the most unbelievable off-schedule things I have ever seen in my life," one head coach told Sando.
