Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the league, and sacking him clearly comes with a bit more excitement for the NFL’s wide arsenal of pass rushers.
On the third episode of Netflix’s new docuseries Quarterback, Mahomes revealed his very smart reason as to why he compliments pass rushers if they ever get a hit on him or get close with a good quarterback rush.
“I’m a big compliment guy,” Mahomes said on the documentary series, backed by footage of him giving kudos to various defenders. “If they get close to me, ‘hey, great rush, dude.’ First off, I mean, I have a ton of respect for those guys. They’re playing their tail off; they’re trying to get me at all cost. I’ve always said that I want to make sure those guys like me. They have the decision, if it’s consciously or subconsciously, to finish those hits, and I feel like, if those guys like me, they won’t finish them as hard.”
You know, this is pretty savvy reasoning on Mahomes’ behalf to preserve his health during the season.
He’s going to have a big target on his back during any game since he’s the league’s best quarterback, and being amicable on the field might make pass rushers go easier on him.
It might not stop all the sacks, but it might make likeability a pretty good cushion for Mahomes against how hard those hits come in on game day.
