Bad news for NFL teams: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce looked good in the first preseason game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.
The Kansas City Chiefs teammates celebrated their third Super Bowl victory in five years with a busy offseason that included European vacations, celebrity golf tournaments and a host of other professional endeavors.
But when it came time to put the shoulder pads back on Saturday night in Jacksonville, both Mahomes and Kelce appeared to pick up where they left off in February, when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The two future Hall of Famers played just one series, but Mahomes managed to complete 3 of 4 passes for 27 yards. One of those passes went to Kelce, who caught the reception for seven yards.
Normally, head coach Andy Reid likes to give his starters two series before putting the backups in for the first preseason game, but “Big Red,” as he’s known, was eager to see Kansas City’s second unit.
Patrick Mahomes (15) throws as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Trevis Gipson defends
Travis Kelce warms up before a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Most notably, the Chiefs’ backups now include former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and second overall pick Carson Wentz, who completed all four of his passes against his former coach Doug Pederson’s team on Saturday.
Mahomes played a total of six snaps in the 2023 preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. In total, he played 11 snaps against the Chicago Bears in 2022 and four snaps against the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.
The lack of playing time in late summer doesn’t bother Mahomes, who joked that he doesn’t mind taking a hit from a defender during the preseason.
“I always want to get hit, but I don’t want to get hit hard,” Mahomes said earlier in the week. “So, if I can throw the ball and one of those defensive ends wants to give me a little push, that’s all I need, so it’s good.”
“I like playing in the preseason, honestly. Going in there, trying to make sure we’re doing things right and going out there, trying to keep everyone healthy.”
A Kansas City Chiefs fan holds a campaign sign for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in the stands before an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
The bottom line is the Chiefs want to evaluate players competing for a starting job or a roster spot.
“I love watching all these young guys compete,” Reid said. “The higher the draft picks, the more likely they are to have more competition, so I want to see how they handle themselves.”
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo agreed with Reid.
“I’d like to see the guys who haven’t been there very long,” Spagnuolo said. “You know, all the young guys, obviously.
“I mean, I told them in the meeting that the guys I’ve been around and that are here, I know who’s tough and who’s fake. I mean, I’m trying to figure out if the guys are tough enough to play in this league and do the things we need to do.”
