Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes II passes two-minute test with time to spare
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes II faced his first true NFL training-camp moment on Saturday when the rookie quarterback went on the Kansas City Chiefs practice field for a two-minute drill. He passed the test with plenty of room to spare.
Mahomes needed just four plays — one a long pass to tight end Ross Travis that got the 75-yard drive started — to get the touchdown. He scored the touchdown himself on a run and used just 1:05 of his allotted 1:58.
They were just four plays in a long training camp, but they happened in an important game situation. That’s what stood out to the Chiefs and co-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
“You want to get off [on] the right foot,” Nagy said. “[Something] that happens in these two-minute drills, when you have to go 75 yards and you need a touchdown to do it, that first play, it’s nice when you get a big chunk [to start].”
Mahomes made a veteran move on the first play of the drive by looking off the safety in the middle of the field. He then threw a dart to Travis.
“I tell everybody from his very first practice that he had when he came in and was screaming in the huddle what the play was — and didn’t realize he was talking to the defense — to where he is right now, looking off safeties, it’s a huge leap,” Nagy said.
“It was phenomenal. It was a great throw. He’s used to that two-minute stuff. It helps him out and he’s throwing with confidence.”
Two-minute situations are nothing new to Mahomes, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick. He played in college at Texas Tech, where the offense played at a continuous fast pace. The hurry-up offense was the norm.
“When he gets to play fast, play quick … You see a lot of his tape, he’s out of the pocket, they’re scrambling, there are tense moments, tight throws,” Nagy said. “[Those are] some of his strengths.
“He’s very calm and you can’t break him down. Coach [Andy Reid] gets after him now. Every once in a while I’ll be looking out of the corner of my eye to see if he’s breaking down, but he’s doing great. As of now, he’s pretty unbreakable. But we’ll see how that goes as the test goes on.”
