KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If the Kansas City Chiefs were encouraged by the most impressive practice session yet for Patrick Mahomes II on Wednesday, they had even more reason for optimism because of the rookie quarterback’s attitude about it afterward.
“It definitely was a good day,’’ Mahomes said. “It’s all about putting these good days back to back and not having bad days.’’
That consistency will eventually make Mahomes, or a lack of it will eventually break him. Mahomes gets that, so he’s sounding more like a veteran than an awestruck rookie.
He played more like a quarterback who understands his job on Wednesday. He scattered fewer throws than normal and made some of his best throws of the offseason. Mahomes in particular showed some versatility early in practice when he connected with rookie wide receiver Marcus Kemp on a deep ball down the right sideline on one play and threw a fade to rookie running back Devine Redding in between two defenders on the next.
Matt Nagy, the Chiefs’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said last week that Mahomes’ talent would begin to show once he mastered the Chiefs’ playbook and had a better understanding of what the defense is trying to do on a given play. That process may have started Wednesday.
“Just knowing the playbook more and more each day helps out,’’ Mahomes said. “You’ve just got to stay on it, keep learning. That’s how you put good days on top of each other.
“There are some times when I understand everything that’s going on and then there are a few times where you’re like, ‘What exactly does this [receiver] do against a certain defense?’ You have to make sure those times get erased. That just comes with repetition, with practice. I feel like those times become smaller and smaller when I don’t know what’s going on.’’
The Chiefs finish their offseason work Thursday with the conclusion of their three-day minicamp. Mahomes won’t have the chance to stack good days on top of each other again until training camp starts in late July.
In the meantime, Mahomes will return home to Tyler, Texas, in hopes of retaining everything he’s gained from the past few weeks of practice.
“I’m sure I’ll have some quarterback coach or somebody come in and help me out a little bit,’’ he said. “Just trying to stay on top of the footwork, stay on top of the playbook as much as possible.''