Patrick Mahomes has caused an interesting situation on social media recently. The Kansas City Chiefs captain was spotted training ahead of their next game. But rather than sharpening his throwing skills, the quarterback was training for something he doesn’t usually do. And it drew interest from the whole community.
The Chiefs couldn’t hold back the urge to caption the moment on social media. With added humor to it. Fans too, have joined the comment section with their takes. But there’s a serious reason behind Mahomes’ new training, and many are unaware of it.
Patrick Mahomes was seen training punts
The Chiefs were training on Friday morning ahead of their weekend game against the Chargers. The cameras were simultaneously focusing on the players, and understandably, Patrick Mahomes was attracting the most attention. One of them, however, recorded something interesting at one point.
The quarterback, known for his sublime passing and Eagle-eye vision, kicked the ball high at one point like a punter. Followed with a yell, “Throw over here!” The Chiefs’ Instagram account did not miss the opportunity, and uploaded a clip of the instance, captioning it “Puntrick Mahomes.”
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Now the fans have joined the comment trail suggesting their takes. One of them thought Tommy Townsend, ‘the team’s punter’s job could be under threat, “Tommy Shakin In His Boots Right Now.” Some didn’t like the idea and didn’t want to see it happen either, “Hopefully it’s just jokes.” While some were amused that the quarterback had taken up the new role, and insisted that he should continue. One even suggested the team make him the main punter. Here are some of the reactions that make one wonder “Why not?”:
“Puntkick Mahomes has a better ring to it.”
“Make him the main punter.”
“GOAT QB AND GOAT PUNTER.”
But why was the quarterback training for that after all? It was not just for a show, apparently. The team is currently missing their primary punter Tommy Townsend due to an injury. And management believes that Mahomes is the best fit for the backup. Mahomes himself was more than eager for the job though, doubling down on the coaches.
Patrick Mahomes is the backup, confirms the team
Townsend is the team’s first-choice punter, who has recently encountered a knee injury. Even though he played the entire Broncos game with it, the Chiefs can’t risk that again as it could be dangerous in the long run. Amid this, the team’s special team coordinator and assistant head coach Dave Toub revealed that the quarterback was indeed the backup punter planned for the emergency.
“We had a plan, and believe it or not, 15 is our backup punter”, Toub said to KCTV5. “He can do it. He shows me all the time”, he was confident that Mahomes was a good fit for the role as he practices that quite a few often.
Being the team that ranks as the 4th best yards/game this season, the Chiefs have barely relied on their punter for distant kicks. But there’s still the void that needs to be filled. So, can we see the quarterback starting as a punter in their next game? Let’s save that thought for Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Chargers.
Call us crazy, but a dream lineup could find Mahomes starting as the punter and Travis Kelce filling the quarterback’s role. Will Andy Reid make it happen?
