Super Bowl-winning coach and NFL analyst Brian Billick dropped by CBS Sports Radio on Wednesday to discuss his new book, “The Q Factor: The Elusive Search for the Next Great NFL Quarterback,” which identifies the tangibles and intangibles that can better predict whether a top-ranked QB prospect will become a franchise quarterback.
Spoiler alter: Patrick Mahomes has already become that. In fact, Mahomes might already be one of the greatest of all time.
“Boy, it’s looking that way, isn’t it?” Billick said on The DA Show. “Certainly what he does is unique enough. His ability to deliver the ball from whatever platform, the athleticism, the mental makeup, the way his team responds to him – you’re right, we need some longevity here before we slam dunk him to the Hall of Fame. But he sure looks like he’s on that track.”
Mahomes was named NFL MVP in his first season as a starter. As en encore, he led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title since 1969. And this year, he has led the Chiefs to a 3-0 start.
“This young man is truly, truly unique in the way that he plays the game,” Billick said. “It’s fun to watch. What he did the other night against Baltimore was amazing to me, against another great young quarterback who just really couldn’t keep up.”
Mahomes finished 31-of-42 for 385 yards and four touchdowns against the Ravens. He also ran for a score, as Kansas City led 27-10 at halftime and won 34-20. Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, finished 15-of-28 for 97 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and four sacks. It was one of the worst games of the reigning MVP’s career.
But that’s what Mahomes can do to you. And that’s why he’s already one of the greatest of all time.
“Yeah, you’d be hard-pressed to find somebody that doesn’t think Patrick Mahomes is on that kind of trajectory,” Billick said.