4. Patrick Mahomes Just Threw the Most Overanalyzed Pass of the Summer
Patrick Mahomes may have thrown the most overanalyzed incompletion in NFL history, a short-armed throw off the back of his center’s helmet.
At first glance, one might assume Mahomes is struggling to plant on his left leg, a leg featuring a bulky knee brace. Mahomes bending at the waist after the botched throw…in pain!? Oh my, is Justin Fields going to start for the Chief this season? Should Mahomes even be out there!?!
Any overreactions from Chiefs fans are valid. Mahomes is the center of gravity in Kansas City and the team wasn’t good after the quarterback suffered a torn ACL on December 14, 2025, against the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, what’s more plausible is Mahomes’s throw was a dud. Whether the ball slipped out of his hand or he changed his mind just before release, these things happen on occasion. Not even a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player is immune to follies and Mahomes bending at the waist was a show of brief embarrassment.
Mahomes is likely experiencing a somewhat clumsy preseason, coming off the first major injury of his career. Anyone whose worn a knee brace for the first time knows that it takes a lot of getting used to. But it’s a good sign Mahomes has been on the field to start Chiefs camp. I highly doubt he’s taking snaps if Mahomes and the team wasn’t fully confident in the recovery timeline.
Kansas City signed Justin Fields this offseason but after eight years of watching generational QB play, Chiefs aren’t fooled by the Fields YouTube highlight reels. Fields is an okay QB2 with some athleticism worthy of a few gadget plays in a season. Fields does not come close to replacing a recovering Patrick Mahomes.
The 12th Opinion 
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