The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the first-team offense got off to a hot start during their preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, August 16.
On the second offensive snap, Mahomes connected with rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy for a 39-yard pass. While it was great to see Mahomes' connection with the Chiefs' 2024 first-rounder, it was Mahomes' behind-the-back pass to tight end Travis Kelce for an 8-yard gain that left viewers' jaws on the floor.
While Mahomes has practiced the trick pass for years, he's never attempted the play in a real NFL game. Speaking to former Chiefs signal-caller Trent Green during the third quarter of the preseason matchup, the three-time Super Bowl MVP revealed that not only was the behind-the-back pass completely improvised, but it only happened because Kelce made a huge mistake.
"Long story short, Travis didn’t run the route he was supposed to run," Mahomes said as to why he finally attempted the basketball-style move. "And then it was kinda a behind-the -back pass because I was mad. I was pissed off at Travis."
"He was supposed to run a flag route," Mahomes continued. "I’m yelling at him and then he doesn’t run it… so out of spite, I threw it behind the back, and now it’s going to be a highlight."
When Green asked if the pass was improvised, "100%," Mahomes answered. "That’s what I’ve been trying to say to everybody. It can’t be planned. It’s gotta be... just naturally happen in the groove of things... It wasn't planned at all."
It's not an exaggeration to say that that insane pass, which led to a first down, will go down as one of the top highlights of the entire 2024 NFL preseason. A few months ago, Mahomes revealed that if he did complete the much-hyped trick pass, he wanted Kelce, his most reliable target, to be the one to catch it.
During an appearance on " First Things First" in May, Mahomes revealed that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has actually called for him to do the behind-the-back pass several times.
"I think it was we didn’t play as well offensively enough for me to pull the behind-the-back pass off this last year,” Mahomes said. “But it’s no one else’s fault than myself, because coach Reid wants me to throw it behind the back more than anyone in the world.
"And so he deliberately puts in plays that I have the opportunity to throw the ball behind the back. So it’s not a coaching thing. It’s me not having that confidence to do it in a game.”
“One of these games, man, we’ve got to do it, Mahomes teased. “There’s been too much hype on it. We’ve got to do it and hopefully, it’s to Trav. He’s the best at judging that behind-the-back pass.”
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