It probably takes a lot to impress Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes – who, at just 29 years old, already has three Super Bowl rings, two Most Valuable Player awards, three All-Pro nominations and six Pro Bowl won selections.
So. . . Congratulations, Bryce Young!
Young, Mahomes' counterpart in Sunday's showdown against the Carolina Panthers, had an incredible performance in Week 12 At the defending champions, the 23-year-old gained the respect of many with a confident and sharp passing performance over 263 yards.
Mahomes was among the many who was asked after the game about Young's valiant effort.
“Yeah, I thought he was screwed, man. He throws a really good football.” . “You know, it’s funny — I think Texas Tech was the first to offer him. He was in eighth grade. And I was at Texas Tech, so I remember watching his highlight tapes back then and knowing he was going to be a great player. Obviously it went to 'Bama and was the first draft pick.
“But it’s been cool to see him get back on his feet and play some great football over the last few weeks because I know he’s got it. I've seen it for a long time. And he gave us a scare today, man, because he played his dick.”
Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, Young has played on and off. In his four games as back-under center, he completed 61.0 percent of his throws for 784 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, leading the Panthers to a respectable 2-2 mark.
Mahomes was then jokingly asked if the prospect of an eighth-grader challenging him at Texas Tech scared him.
“I was hoping to be out of there before he got there,” he replied. “He has been a great player for a long time and has won a lot of football games.”
Luckily for Mahomes, Young couldn't catch him this afternoon either.