As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for their third Super Bowl appearance in four years and quarterback Patrick Mahomes basks in the glory of his second NFL MVP awardan NFL insider says we should have seen this coming.
Trey Wingo, director of trends and brand ambassador for Caesars Sportsbook, told Fox News Digital by September Mahomes was still the best quarterback in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs leads a rally before the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
At the start of the NFL season, Wingo believed that Kansas City heard all the slights in the offseason following their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game and after trading star receiver Tyreek Hill earlier in the season. low.
With a wide receiver core minus one star, Wingo predicted that Mahomes would be «scorched earth in the NFL this year.»
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And he has.
Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and touchdowns (41) in 2022, all while leading kansas city to a 14-3 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
«There was so much madness out there about Mahomes this offseason,» Wingo told Fox News Digital on Thursday. «People he used to work with were like, ‘The Chiefs are going to miss the postseason. They’re not going to make the playoffs because of the stacked AFC West.'»
Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with head coach Andy Reid after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri . (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
«How are you doubting this guy? And I understand the Tyreek Hill loss, but Andy Reid is the quarterback whisperer,” Wingo added. “Let’s be clear. Every quarterback he’s ever had has his best seasons playing for Andy Reid. And this is the best quarterback in the NFL. Are you telling me that you really don’t think they’ll find out?»
In five seasons as the starting quarterback in Kansas City, Mahomes is 63-14 during the regular season, reaching the AFC Championship Game each season as a starter.
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«There are a lot of really good quarterbacks in the NFL right now. This is a new era,» Wingo said.
«We’re in a new era of quarterbacks. Whether it’s [Justin] Herbert, or [Josh] allen, or [Joe] Burrow, or Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa… all these young people are settling down. But the gap between Mahomes and everyone else is huge.»
Unlike the Eagles, who traded for star receiver AJ Brown in the offseason, Kansas City’s offense has made it with a solid but certainly not great receiving core.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs yells during his pregame celebration against the Los Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 10, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
while everyone tight end Travis Kelce He’s had another fantastic season: 110 receptions, 1,138 yards, 12 TDs, Mahomes has spread the wealth with his receiving group, connecting with 10 different receivers in the AFC Championship Game.
«He’s making these guys brilliant. The thing that Mahomes does better than anyone is what all great players do: he lifts up the players around him to be better than anyone ever thought they could be,» Wingo told Fox News. Digital.
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«Me too understand travis kelce He’ll likely go into the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot, and may eventually pass Tony Gonzalez in Chiefs history depending on longevity, but that’s a tight end. This is a receivers league right now. And he’s building guys who are average to good, good to great. That’s what separates Mahomes.»
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacts during a morning workout at the team’s training camp facility at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri on July 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)
And as NFL fans search for the «next best option» at the quarterback position at the start of every season, Wingo says the «next best option» is right before our eyes.
«Before Mahomes became a starting quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs had never hosted an AFC championship game,» Wingo said. «Since Mahomes became a starter, they have only hosted AFC championship games. He is the fastest quarterback to 10 wins in NFL history in the postseason. He will become the first minor quarterback 30 years old this week with two Super Bowl MVP and MVP awards, he is only 27 years old.
«This guy is transcending the game,» Wingo added. «And either you see it or you don’t. You either see the brilliance of a Picasso, or you see the brilliance of a Van Gogh, you see the brilliance of a Bruce Springsteen, or you don’t. But that’s what this guy is. He has changed the game.»
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as a kick off for Super Bowl LVIII as Glendale, Arizona draws near, all eyes will be on Mahomes as he searches for his second Super Bowl ring.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates as he is introduced prior to kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 21, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
For those inclined to get a little juice in the game, Caesars Sportsbook has a host of bets on the Super Bowl, including a prop bet that Wingo loves.
«One I really like is will there be a safety in this year’s game? We’ve had nine safeties in Super Bowl history. It’s happened four times in the last 14 games, and the odds are +835.» Wingo said. Fox News Digital. «So if you want something that’s low risk and potentially very high reward, pushing a safety in this game is interesting because we have the two best sacking teams in the NFL last season, the Eagles and the Chiefs.
«Someone gets caught deep, the ball gets loose, it could be a safety pretty easily. I really like that gamble.»