The 2022 offseason was filled with many comments, criticisms, and concerns about the state of the Kansas City Chiefs. Multiple division titles and appearances in the AFC Championship games weren’t enough to keep doubters away after Tyreek Hill departed the team and the AFC West loaded up on talent.
Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins last March, much to the surprise of many, while free-agent stars like Davante Adams joined the division and Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson was acquired by the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs were picked by many to have their division title streak broken, and Mahomes was questioned whether or not he’d be effective without Hill.
A few hours removed from winning his second Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl MVP in the past four seasons, Mahomes reflected on the doubt during the Monday morning press conference.
“Yeah, it’s hard not to hear that stuff,” said Mahomes. “You hear how not good we’re going to be. All you can do is prove it on the football field. I’m not a guy that’s going to respond and say stuff back to people or anything like that on social media. I’m just gonna go out there and prove it on the football field. Once you do that, there’s nothing they can really say.”
Mahomes broke the record for total yards in a season with 5,608. He showed his versatility as a scrambler and dominant from the pocket, silencing many doubters before the season.
“We have a new team and a lot of young players,” said Mahomes. “Brett Veach did a great job of getting a lot of great players that contributed for us in this game, especially. And I said before the year, and I always say as long as Andy Reid’s coaching us, we’re always gonna have a chance. So I’ll keep the big guy around a couple more years at least, and we’ll try to be back in this game as many times as possible.”
The Chiefs’ star quarterback is only 27 years old with plenty of seasons remaining on his contract. As long as Andy Reid wants to coach, the franchise should remain as a perennial Super Bowl contender.
