Joe Namath On Pat Mahomes: 'Mahomes Is Special...He’s Everything You’d Like In A Quarterback'
The man who turned the NFL into what it is today loves one of the current faces of the league. Joe Namath is a fan of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes.
In fact, Namath can’t find a single fault to his game.
Namath, still the only man to quarterback the New York Jets to the Super Bowl, sees a lot to like about Mahomes, whose Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback met Mahomes last year and raves about him off the field, citing the third-year quarterback as an impressive young man. A “gentleman” according to Namath.
On the field, there is plenty of reason for Namath to be impressed in Mahomes. This year, he threw for 4,031 yards with 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions in leading the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Namath said “I don’t know a negative about him. Having watched him, I don’t think there is anything I can critique in a negative fashion.”
“I do marvel at the same of the things he’s done on the field,” Namath told SportsIllustrated.
“Last year, throwing a no-look pass. We used to run an option with the halfback and pitch it without looking. But doing a pass – I never thought about practicing that kind of thing as a quarterback and he’s taken that position and he’s added to it. The game is changing big time, it is better today. The ball players today, they’re better. Mahomes is special.’
Namath speaks from a position of authority. Four times an AFL All-Star, he was the MVP of Super Bowl III. Last year, he came out with a definitive and introspective autobiography, All The Way: My Life in Four Quarters. In the autobiography, Namath delves into his life not just on the field as a legendary quarterback, but pulls back the curtains beyond his trend-setting style and his play as a quarterback.
The book has been a huge success and is available in print, audio or to download as an e-book. He also continues to remain an advocate via the Joe Namath Foundation for those who have suffered from brain trauma and injuries.
As for Mahomes, Namath is effusive. He talks above the quarterback’s athleticism but also his mechanics and ability to make a variety of throws. He also praises Mahomes’ ability to read defenses and improvise.
When asked if Mahomes is the future of the NFL, Namath wouldn’t go that far. He agreed that Mahomes could be poised for big things if he remains injury free.
But he also said that there are young quarterbacks in the league such as the Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson and the 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo, two other young talents who will continue to develop over the next decade.
“I love damn near everything he does. He’s a gifted athlete, has great feet. He has intelligence for sure, the way he moves around and then finds receivers. He got a gift from God that he can throw the ball nicely. If he stays healthy, there is no telling what can happen. The guy is elusive, he’s evasive. He’s smart. He’s everything you’d like in a quarterback,” Namath said.
“I know we all love watching him play, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t say who is going to be the face of the league for the next decade. There’s a guy in Baltimore who can very well be that, when you talk about being the face of the league. Garoppolo might end up being that. There’s no question about it, ‘Lady Luck’ will play a role with injuries. I’m not saying that Mahomes won’t last long but I can only hope that he does. So the face of the league, I don’t doubt that if he wins championships and right now, Mahomes has to be durable. He has to last awhile.”
