Why Chiefs offensive coordinator Bieniemy called Patrick Mahomes ‘a competitive (jerk)’
The night before he flew to Kansas City to sign a half-billion dollar contract, Patrick Mahomes called his trainer in Texas and grumbled that he’d have to miss the next morning’s workout.
During an offseason in which players have never had a better excuse to skip some training days here and there, Mahomes had prided himself on sticking to a schedule. At home. Outside. Back at the gym. Wherever.
It’s his nature, he would explain. And it’s carried into Chiefs training camp, his teammates and coaches say. A month shy of his 25th birthday, Mahomes is the unquestioned leader of the offense. In performance, sure. But vocally, too.
After a workout schedule with no days off, he has quickly set a tone to take no plays off.
“He’s a competitive prick,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said.
He meant that as a compliment. Truly.
Mahomes is coming off a Super Bowl victory, a game in which he was named the most valuable player. A year earlier, he won the NFL regular season MVP award. In two short seasons, there’s not a lot he is yet to accomplish.
But he hasn’t lost that edge, not even in the initial two padded practices of training camp.
And that’s the context in which Bieniemy intended his remark.
“Kudos to Pat. He’s done a heck of a job. He’s had a great career so far. But you guys have been around him and you know him — he’s a competitive prick,” Bieniemy said. “He’s a great kid. But he’s a competitive prick.
“He wants to improve at everything he can possibly improve upon. He wants to be the best at whatever he can do. And along the way, he wants to make sure that he’s leading the guys. He wants to be held accountable by his peers. But also, he just wants to work hard. And that’s what you love about being around him every single day.”
The Chiefs, like all of their NFL counterparts, canceled the summer’s workouts and on-field meetings, including organized team activities, because of COVID-19 regulations. The circumstances have placed a need for acceleration and urgency in this training camp. They’ll have to make the most of every snap, every rep, every drill.
That’s the challenge every team faces.
The Chiefs have an additional challenge on their own — avoiding complacency and contentment with what last year’s group achieved. In that sense, the quarterback reduces the worry.
“I will say Pat loves to compete. In each and every opportunity we get to go against the defense, he wants to win,” Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. “It don’t matter the situation. Whatever it is, he always wants to win. And he always brings the best out of each and every one of us. That’s what I love about Pat.
“It don’t matter who you are; it doesn’t matter if you’re me, (Travis) Kelce, (Eric Fisher) or whoever the case may be, he’s going to give you that extra fuel that you need to continue going.
“It don’t matter if you’re on play (number) 10, and everybody’s on their knees dead tired. He’s still like, ‘Guys; come on; come on; I need you.’ That’s the thing you gotta love about Pat.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 1:37 PM.