“I thought Brady was the face of checkdown merchants?” - Eye-opening Patrick Mahomes stat sparks debate among fans ahead of Super Bowl

NFL fans had a lot to say after learning about a surprising Patrick Mahomes stat five days before Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes' stats from this season keep coming, and one in particular didn't sit well with fans.

Next Gen Stats shared a graphic on X (formerly Twitter) showing that Mahomes targeted receivers behind the line of scrimmage more than ever in his career (26.9% of his attempts). These decisions helped him collect 851 passing yards, the second-most in the NFL and a league-high 45 first downs.

Additionally, Patrick Mahomes led the league in passing yards on attempts behind the line of scrimmage in five of the last six NFL seasons since 2016.

This information sparked a big debate among fans, with many going against the Kansas City Chiefs star. Several people brought Tom Brady into the conversation, criticizing Mahomes for doing something TB12 was criticized for before.

"But I thought Brady was the face of checkdown merchants? 🧐" one fan said.

"4 seasons leading the league in throwing the ball behind the line of scrimmage but Brady is the checkdown merchant LMAO," another fan said.

"Watch Brady's SB games vs. Mahomes. Mahomes isn't even close to Brady at quarterback. Mahomes is all crossers & pick plays with the occasional deep shot & when nothing works, he runs. He's a better athlete than Brady but not at quarterbacking," another fan said.

Others were strong defenders of the three-time Super Bowl champion, saying he was effective and a winner with this strategy.

"Do you know who has more 4 quarter comebacks than anyone," one fan said.

"Yall crying check down merchant, I’m counting super bowls," another fan said.

Patrick Mahomes sends clear message about being NFL "villains"

Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts on his Kansas City Chiefs being considered the villains of the league. The veteran playmaker made it clear that they're not embracing that notion. However, if playing the game the right way and showing passion and effort made people feel they were the bad guys, he didn't have a problem with that.

The Chiefs are 60 minutes away from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Mahomes is already part of the league history, but a three-peat would elevate his legacy to a new level and establish the Chiefs as one of the most dominant dynasties ever.