.@MitchSchwartz71 on what it was like to block for Patrick Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/K7qG3vVkiB
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 21, 2022
Kansas City Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz knows all the intricacies of blocking for Patrick Mahomes.
Schwartz played three seasons with Mahomes serving as the Chiefs’ starting right tackle. The former 2018 All-Pro has witnessed firsthand some of the fantastic highlight plays made by Mahomes, further growing his legend. In an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, Schwartz provided insight on what it’s like protecting Mahomes on the field during his tenure.
“It’s amazing,” said Schwartz. “Having the best quarterback in the NFL back there, he’s gonna make everything right. And we’ve seen him do that from the pocket from outside the pocket. I think what people misconstrue a little bit because of the exciting plays, where he’s running around, he’s juking guys, he’s throwing on the run. You know, leaning in one direction and throwing the other there. He’s deadly from the pocket. That’s the basis of the Andy Reid offense — that’s the basis of Pat’s game. So he’s gonna carve you up from in the pocket.”
Schwartz officially retired from the NFL last week after nine seasons. He was a vital member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning team. The former 2012 second-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns contributed to the following year’s return to the Super Bowl, but he missed significant time that season due to a back injury.
“He’s super smart,” Schwartz said of Mahomes. “So he knows where to go with the ball, He gets it out quick, which is every old lineman’s dream, and he can obviously run. So you know, as a right tackle, if my guy is trying to go around the arc, he’s trying to go up field, you know, pack and kind of flip under, can evade them, get outside the pocket, make something happen. And then as he did that, over time, your defensive end gets a little scared, he gets a little nervous, his coaches are telling him, ‘Hey, you can’t let him out.’ And so now I get an advantage as an offensive lineman because that defensive end is a little bit hesitant, and he doesn’t want to do that super speed move off the field that he’s going to leave the lane open for Patrick to sneak underneath and to escape the pocket. So it goes, you know, multiple ways with offensive efficiency, throwing from the pocket being on the run, but then that kind of direct impact that it has on a defensive line when they’re being told. You can’t just go completely all out. You can rush in any way you want. That’s a huge advantage for an offensive lineman, and it’s really difficult to quantify, but those top quarterbacks and the guys, especially you, can break the pocket. That’s a big advantage.”
Schwartz continues to speak highly of Mahomes and is proud of his time in Kansas City as a reliable leader on the offensive line. He will continue to be a resource for the Chiefs in retirement because it’s no secret that he still loves the city and will continue to call it home.
