"Take his first read away and what does he do?" - Veteran NFL coach takes a dig at Patrick Mahomes' ability as a QB

A veteran NFL defensive coach has pointed out a flaw in Patrick Mahomes. The veteran coach noted that the Chiefs quarterback does not have a 'natural pocket presence' and resorts to 'streetball' when his first read gets taken away.

Mahomes, who has progressively been eliminated in the last two NFL postseasons after a Super Bowl LIV victory in 2020, was analyzed by an anonymous source who believes he is a tier 2 quarterback.

Speaking to Mike Sando for his 2022 NFL Quarterback Tier piece for The Athletic, the source said that though they loved Mahomes and had nothing against him, there was something off-putting about the signal-caller:

"We love Mahomes because of his unorthodox throws, not because of his natural pocket presence. And when that disappears, that is when they lose games. I don't think that is a 1. I think that is a 2. Nothing against the guy. I love the kid. But take his first read away and what does he do? He runs, he scrambles, and he plays streetball."

Patrick Mahomes is under more pressure than normal, according to ESPN analyst

In his piece exploring the Kansas City Chiefs' training camp storylines this summer, ESPN's Adam Teicher said that Patrick Mahomes is under more pressure than usual due to all of the developments in Kansas City since the end of the 2021-22 NFL season:

"Nobody is suggesting gloom and doom for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but there's no denying his football world has changed since the Chiefs ended their 2021 season with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs traded his top wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, and lost two of their other top pass-catchers from recent seasons, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson, to free agency."

To Teicher, the addition of several new pieces coupled with the loss of his top preferred option on offense means increased pressure for the star signal-caller.

Teicher recalled "Mahomes' dismal second half and overtime" against the Cincinnati Bengals in last season's AFC Championship game to elaborate that the Kansas City signal-caller remains "under more pressure than normal" for a quarterback that's already established and has tasted considerable success.

With Travis Kelce still in tow, those hoping for Mahomes' demise may be sorely disappointed should another Pro Bowl season occurs from the Chiefs quarterback. Still, the road to another season of at least 12 wins will be considerably more challenging for Mahomes & Co.