Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player after torching the league with 5,097 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes. The 23-year-old gunslinger takes home his first MVP award in what was his first year as a starter.
Mahomes set numerous NFL records, including being the quickest to 4,000 yards passing and 40 touchdowns. He also is only the third player in league history with 5,000 passing yards and 50-plus touchdowns in a season, along with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Mahomes was largely the favorite to win the MVP hardware and his win comes as no surprise. He is the youngest to win the award since Dan Marino in 1984.
Mahomes Named MVP After Illustrious Season
The Texas Tech-alum took over the starting job in 2018, replacing former Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith. Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record in the regular season, earning the top seed in the AFC. He was also excellent in the postseason, posting a 1-1 record, 573 passing yards, and four total touchdowns.
Mahomes played the position like no other, making use of side-arm, off-balance, or no-look throws on the regular. Because of this, defenses had a lot of trouble stopping the young passer, even after getting game tape on him. Mahomes was able to fit the ball in places not many quarterbacks can fit.
The Chiefs boasted the number one offense in the NFL with Mahomes under center. They finished with 565 points and 6,810 yards, both tops in the league. Mahomes had to do a lot himself, carrying a defense that was 31st in yards allowed. He was forced to make up for the loss of Kareem Hunt after their week 12 bye, and the offense didn’t miss a beat. Mahomes took the Chiefs to the AFC Championship but lost to the New England Patriots in overtime. He didn’t see the ball in extra time as the Patriots carved the Chiefs defense en route to the winning score.
Despite being a Dee Ford offsides penalty away from a Super Bowl, Mahomes lit the league on fire. Teams found out the only way to beat the Chiefs was to take the ball out of Mahomes’ hands by running the clock. This spoke volumes on his impact on the game and his value to his team.
