ESPN panel split on if Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes will be motivated by Tyreek Hill comments
Late in the 2019 season, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left the field after a touchdown against the Chicago Bears and cameras caught him counting to 10.
The Bears had passed on drafting Mahomes in favor of Mitch Trubisky, and Mahomes’ 10-count was a reference to being picked 10th overall by the Chiefs.
Then, after Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was voted first in the NFL Top 100 in the summer of 2020, Mahomes again counted, this time to note he was fourth in that ranking. Mahomes got to four and shrugged as he and the Chiefs thumped the Ravens in Baltimore.
Mahomes finds motivation in many places, and that is why ESPN’s Mike Greenberg believes Mahomes will have a “legendary” season in response to former KC receiver Tyreek Hill’s comment. On his “It Needed To Be Said” podcast, Hill claimed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was more accurate than Mahomes.
Greenberg led a discussion Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up” about how motivated Mahomes would be this season. Jeremy Fowler, Domonique Foxworth and Tim Hasselbeck shared their thoughts on that topic.
“Great players need a reason to be spiteful and Patrick Mahomes just got that,” said Fowler, ESPN’s senior national NFL writer. “(Mahomes) brings up the offense and not being about one guy. That’s his way of reminding people, ‘Hey, we’ve won at least 12 games every year since I’ve been with Andy Reid and we’re gonna get this going.’ Now he knows he’s going to be doubted because Tyreek Hill had a little bit of that Steph Curry presence to him where three or four bodies are running on him at all times, takes up a lot of the defense.
“He (Mahomes) doesn’t have that and he knows the onus is on him. And he plans to deliver.”
Foxworth, who played cornerback for the Ravens, Broncos and Falcons, noted Hill’s comment was unnecessary.
“The bottom line there is that Tyreek Hill’s podcast is called ‘It Needed To Be Said.’ This did not need to be said,” Foxworth said.
Hasselbeck, the former NFL quarterback, added that football players are sensitive, especially when criticized. But that won’t be on Mahomes’ mind in the 2022 season.
“He’s gonna have a great year and I don’t think that it’s necessarily because Tyreek took a shot at him. .... I do think that guys are sensitive, it hurts their feelings,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m sure that Mahomes won’t forget it. But I think Mahomes doesn’t need this for the motivation. There will be other sources of motivation for Patrick Mahomes than the slight from Tyreek Hill.”
Hasselbeck added the accuracy comment was so ludicrous it can’t be seen as offensive to Mahomes.
“If there was a glimmer of truth to it, there might be real offense,” Hasselbeck said. “But because it’s so absurd, we’re just kind of like, you can’t use that as motivation.”
But Fowler said Mahomes has reason to be upset in part because Hill struck it rich with a four-year $120 million contract from Miami..
“Think about the audacity, right? “ Fowler said. “You’re like, ‘I helped you get a $30 million (a year) contract in Miami because I threw you hundreds of balls and now you’re saying I’m inaccurate.’ He’s gonna be fired up over this. I know it’s kind of subtle and slight, it’s like not a big deal but I’d like to think that he’s gonna be spiced up.”
This is part of the conversation.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
