What Andy Reid said about Patrick Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are already the talk of the NFL again — and it’s only the preseason.

Mahomes completed a behind-the-back pass to Kelce that resulted in a first down in the first quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid weighed in on the pass that went viral during his postgame press conference Saturday.

“I’m glad he completed it. I heard he blamed it on Kelce, but that’s all right,” Reid said. “He does it in practice every day. I’m alright as long as it’s a completion.”

Reid downplayed the hype around the play, likening it to basketball players.

“They do it in basketball every game, several times in every game. It’s not that big of a deal, behind-the-back,” he said.

Reid doesn’t recall ever seeing a behind-the-back pass completed during a game, he told reporters, but continued to downplay the significance.

“I don’t think I have, but I see it every day in practice,” he said.

What did Mahomes say about his behind-the-back pass?

During Saturday’s broadcast in an in-game interview , Mahomes said the pass wasn’t a called play but was the result of Kelce running the wrong route.

“Long story short, Travis didn’t run the route he was supposed to, and then it was kind of a behind-the-back pass, kind of because I was mad,” Mahomes said. “Out of spite, I do a behind-the-back pass, but now it’s going to be a highlight.”

Reid came to his tight end’s defense after his quarterback’s claims and chalked it up to some good-natured ribbing among friends and teammates.

“It wasn’t Kelce’s fault. They play off of each other,” Reid said postgame.

The pass isn’t new for Mahomes. He has been practicing it since 2018, according to The Athletic . But the back-to-back Super Bowl MVP has been waiting for the right moment to use it outside of practice.

“It can’t be planned. It’s got to be just naturally happening in the groove of things,” he said.

Mahomes had completed the pass in training camp earlier this year to running back Isiah Pacheco. He was asked about it and if Reid approved of the pass in his Thursday media availability .

“Once you’re kind of having a good day, you have the freedom to kind of try stuff like that,” Mahomes said. “First thing he said was, ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while.’”