Why KC Chiefs’ Willie Gay loves (and hates) going against Patrick Mahomes in practice
Willie Gay knew what was coming. Or he thought he did.
This was during a recent mandatory minicamp practice, and the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker read quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ eyes while following a receiver to the flat.
The hunch ended up incorrect. Mahomes stared down his outside receiver, then tossed a no-look throw across his body to hit Josh Gordon in stride.
Gay — visibly — was stunned. He jumped up and down a couple of times in disbelief, putting both hands on his helmet after Mahomes faked him out.
“Nothing too much I can do about that,” Gay said with a smile. “Only one quarterback in the league can do that, I think, and I’m on his team, so I’m pretty good.”
Gay said the moment led to a discussion with position coach Brendan Daly afterward. Daly said he thought Gay had gazed at Mahomes too long, but Gay countered to say the outside receiver sat down in his break. That triggered Gay to jump the route, which would be the right move in most circumstances.
Not this time with Mahomes, though.
“Next thing I know, he threw it like this,” Gay said, motioning his eyes to the right with his hand going left.
The positive, Gay said, is that going against that kind of ability only helps him in practice. Because while Mahomes might have been able to make that pass Tuesday, it’s not likely that other signer-callers will pull the same move against the Chiefs on Sundays.
“Honestly, I treat all quarterbacks the same, but the good thing for me is my quarterback I feel is better than all of them,” Gay said. “So when I take pieces away from practice, and I use it in a game, it makes it easier, because I know Patrick will throw this no-look; I know this (other) guy is going to stare him down and throw it right to him, or probably fake me inside and throw it out. Just something simple like that.”
Gay figures to be a vital piece of a linebacker group that should be a strength on the Chiefs defense. Part of the optimism comes from him playing alongside second-year player Nick Bolton, who was strong as a rookie and has shifted to middle linebacker this season.
“We feel like we’re brothers sometimes. That’s how we treat each other. That’s how we interact with each other,” Gay said of Bolton. “On that field, just keep the energy flowing. If he do something good, I’m happy for him. I do something good, he’s happy for me.”
Gay also sees similar leadership traits from Bolton that he witnessed from former Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
“My rookie year, when we had Hitch man, I seen a leader that I’d never seen before in a middle linebacker. When Nick came in, I was like ‘Gah-dog.’ He picked up right where Hitch left off,” Gay said. “Each and every day, each and every week, he’s just growing as a Mike linebacker, as a leader. I know I’m older than him, but we both feed off each other, and he’s doing a great job.”
When talking to reporters in early June, Daly said he believed the team had seen “some jump” in Gay from both a football and leadership standpoint. He also felt Gay had benefited from playing multiple linebacker positions for the Chiefs, which helped him improve his overall knowledge.
“He’s playing well for us. He moves really well. His energy at practice is great,” Daly said. “Willie is one of those guys that’s never had a bad day. He’s fun to be around.”
Gay promised to continue bringing that enthusiasm while trying to live up to a nickname he’s given himself.
“I love making plays myself, but I mean, I’ve never been selfish or anything. So when I see other guys make plays, I act like it’s me making a play,” Gay said. “I call myself the ‘Juice Man’ for a reason, so I can get the defense some energy whether I’m making plays or other guys are making plays. So that’s how I see it and approach it.”
This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 3:10 PM.
