The Chiefs’ trade up to select Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft changed the franchise forever, but it may not have happened without some help from Matt Nagy.
Mahomes said on teammate Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast that then-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy secretly gave him some advanced notice ahead of a five-hour visit with Andy Reid and the Chiefs during the pre-draft process.
“He really liked me, so he gave me the plays they were going to go over the night before,” Mahomes said. “Of course I crushed the meeting. I stayed up all night studying those plays.”
Mahomes helping KC draft him after Matt Nagy helped him cheat on the test in a plot to force Andy Reid to fall in love with Mahomes… add that to the Wikipedia page 😂😂pic.twitter.com/6AcjNdq4na
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 1, 2022
Mahomes added that he also tried to leverage his way to the Chiefs during the meeting, telling the organization that he likely wasn’t going to be available after the 12th pick. The Chiefs selected him 10th overall.
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While drafting Mahomes looks like an easy decision today, he likely wouldn’t be a Chief today if he didn’t seriously impress the franchise during his visit. Kansas City moved up 17 picks to select him, parting with a future first-rounder and more.
A team has to fall in love with a prospect to move from the end of the first round into the top-10, so would history be different today if Nagy didn’t pull some strings?
Nagy, of course, didn’t get to reap the rewards of Mahomes right away. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith in 2017, and Nagy left Kansas City to become head coach of the Bears after the season. While he made two playoff appearances in Chicago, Nagy likely wishes the Bears drafted Mahomes over Mitchell Trubisky in 2017.
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It’s not only the first time the public is hearing his story, but is apparently the first time Reid is hearing about it.
“Coach Reid is finding out here live,” Mahomes told the Kelce brothers.
Nagy is now back on the Chiefs’ staff as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach, but it’s safe to say Reid will forgive him for this one.
