It's not the first award for Kansas City Chiefs' first-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and it's certainly not the last after a debut season that's rivaling some the best we've ever seen for any quarterback in NFL history.
Mahomes, who has already set numerous franchise and NFL records through 14 games and who currently leads the NFL in passing yards (4,543) and touchdowns (45), was recently selected as the “Top Quarterback of 2018” by a panel of 10 Associated Press football writers from around the country.
"When Mahomes got off to a ridiculously good start, many wondered if he could keep up that pace. The answer has been a resounding yes, and the Chiefs gunslinger has shown no sign of slowing," said New York-based Dennis Waszak Jr, via the release.
With two regular-season games remaining, Mahomes also has a chance to do something that's only ever been done one other time in history—a player surpassing 5,000 yards passing and at least 50 touchdown passes in the same season.
Peyton Manning's 2013 campaign, which is often argued as the best season for any quarterback in NFL history, was the only other time that's ever happened, and Mahomes could do it in his first season as a starter and before he even turns 24 years old. He only needs 457 yards passing and five more touchdowns to accomplish that feat.
"I am happy for all these guys, whatever accolades they get," Chiefs' coach Andy Reid explained on Friday afternoon. "[Mahomes] has worked hard for all of that stuff. There are a lot of great players in this league, so all the sudden you get pointed out as doing that, it's important."
Mahomes received six first-place votes, with the other four going to the New Orleans' Saints Drew Brees, who finished second in the voting. The Los Angeles Chargers' Philip Rivers finished third.
"When you look at the season he's having and compare it to some of the great ones we've ever seen over the years, I mean, he's right there," Reid added. "It's special what he's done and what makes it even better is that he's really not about these things.
"We know he'll handle it the right way because that's just the way he's wired, but I'm happy he's getting the recognition for what he's done and what he's doing."
Mahomes and the Chiefs are preparing to travel to the Pacific Northwest for a marquee showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. Both teams are in the middle for the playoff races for their respective conferences and the outcome of Sunday's game will have plenty of implications for both teams moving forward.
It's also a chance for Mahomes to further solidify his standing as the odds-on-favorite to win the NFL's MVP Award this year. The award has gone to a quarterback for each of the past five years (Peyton Manning-2013, Aaron Rodgers-2014, Cam Newton-2015, Matt Ryan-2016 and Tom Brady-2017).
For context, those five quarterbacks combined to have a completion percentage of 66.1 percent in their respective MVP seasons, plus an average of 4,643 yards passing with 39 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Mahomes already has a better completion percentage (67.1) and sits just 100 yards passing shy of the yardage total (4,543) with two games remaining, plus he has already thrown six more touchdowns (45) than those guys averaged in their MVP seasons.
Simply put: the awards should keep coming.
"A lot of work went into that, so anything he gets is great because he's earned it," Reid concluded.
