Career Timeline of Patrick Mahomes: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Patrick Mahomes, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Patrick Mahomes is a highly accomplished American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Since becoming the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018, he has guided them to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and five Super Bowl appearances, winning three. Widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, and the best of his generation, Mahomes consistently earns recognition as the league's top quarterback.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1970: Chiefs' Super Bowl IV Appearance

In 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs made their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl IV.

1983: Todd Blackledge Drafted

In the 1983 NFL draft, Todd Blackledge was the last quarterback drafted by the Chiefs in the first round before Patrick Mahomes.

2013: High School Football and Baseball Achievements

In 2013, as a senior in high school, Patrick Mahomes had significant achievements in football with 4,619 passing yards, 50 passing touchdowns, 948 rushing yards, and 15 rushing touchdowns. In baseball, he threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts.

2014: MLB Draft and College Commitment

In 2014, Patrick Mahomes was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the MLB draft, but he did not sign a contract, choosing to commit to Texas Tech University for football.

2015: Starting Quarterback at Texas Tech

In 2015, Patrick Mahomes began his sophomore season as the starting quarterback at Texas Tech, leading the Red Raiders to a 7–6 season. He recorded ten games going over 350 passing yards, including four games going over 400, and passed for at least three touchdowns in eight of the games. He led the Big 12 Conference with 364 pass completions on 573 attempts for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

2016: Focus on Football

Prior to the start of the 2016 season, Patrick Mahomes announced that he was leaving baseball to focus on football.

January 3, 2017: Declared for NFL Draft

On January 3, 2017, Patrick Mahomes announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft.

July 20, 2017: Signed with the Kansas City Chiefs

On July 20, 2017, Patrick Mahomes signed a four-year, $16.42 million guaranteed contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, including a $10.08 million signing bonus.

2017: Draft Year

In 2017, Patrick Mahomes was drafted as the 10th overall pick.

2017: Pre-Draft Evaluations and Workouts

In 2017, Patrick Mahomes was projected as a first or second round pick. He tied for the fastest pass ever recorded at the NFL Scouting Combine. He had 18 private workouts and official team visits, the most for any prospect that year.

2017: Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs

In 2017, Patrick Mahomes was selected 10th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL draft.

January 30, 2018: Named Starting Quarterback

On January 30, 2018, the Chiefs announced that they had agreed to trade Alex Smith, elevating Patrick Mahomes to the starting quarterback position. In his first game, Mahomes threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2018: Impact on NFL Prospect Evaluation

Following Patrick Mahomes's breakout 2018 MVP season, NFL teams began to prioritize quarterbacks with the ability to improvise, influencing the evaluation and selection of prospects like Kyler Murray and Bryce Young.

2018: Became Chiefs' starter and achieved milestones

In 2018, Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards.

2018: Became Chiefs' starting quarterback

In 2018, Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, leading them to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances and five Super Bowl appearances.

2018: Chiefs Traded for Mahomes

In the 2018 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs traded their first round pick to acquire Patrick Mahomes.

January 12, 2019: Divisional Round Win

On January 12, 2019, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 31–13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round, their first home playoff win since 1993. Mahomes threw for 278 yards and rushed for one touchdown.

April 2019: Establishment of 15 and the Mahomies Foundation

In April 2019, Patrick Mahomes announced the establishment of the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children.

2019: Super Bowl LIV Victory

In 2019, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, and was named Super Bowl MVP.

April 30, 2020: Chiefs Pick Up Mahomes's Fifth-Year Option

On April 30, 2020, the Chiefs exercised the fifth-year option on Patrick Mahomes's contract.

2020: Signed a 10-year contract extension

In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth over $450 million with the Chiefs, one of the largest contracts in sports history. The Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

2020: Season Records and Honors

In 2020, Patrick Mahomes achieved a quarterback rating of 144.2 and threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs' victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his Week 1 performance. Mahomes reached 5,000 passing yards and broke the NFL record for most total yards in a season by a quarterback with 5,608. He also broke his own Chiefs' franchise record for passing yards in a season with 5,250.

2020: Voter Registration Project in Kansas City

In 2020, Patrick Mahomes and Tyrann Mathieu started a voter registration project in Kansas City, encouraging residents to register to vote in the 2020 presidential election, working with the Chiefs and joining LeBron James' Rock the Vote initiative.

2020: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

In 2020, Sports Illustrated named Patrick Mahomes one of their Sportspeople of the Year for his activism following George Floyd's murder and his encouragement for people to vote in the 2020 presidential election. He also finished the 2020 season with 4,740 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl.

March 12, 2021: Contract Restructure

On March 12, 2021, Patrick Mahomes restructured his contract to save the Chiefs $17 million in salary cap space.

2021: 2021 Season Achievements

In 2021, Mahomes had several milestones. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week in week 1, faced his first September loss in week 2, set career highs for rushing yards and passing attempts in week 5, and had a career-low point game in week 7. He also tied an NFL record in week 10, throwing for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns. Mahomes finished the regular season with 4,839 yards, 37 touchdowns, and was nominated for the Pro Bowl.

2022: Won NFL MVP and Super Bowl LVII

In 2022, Patrick Mahomes won NFL MVP, led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, and earned Super Bowl MVP after the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

September 18, 2023: Contract Restructure Agreement

On September 18, 2023, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes agreed to restructure his contract, giving him $210.6 million between 2023 and 2026.

2023: Super Bowl LVII Victory and MVP Award

In 2023, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, despite re-aggravating his ankle. He was awarded his second Super Bowl MVP. Mahomes also finished the season as the Most Valuable Player, leading in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.

2024: Donation to Texas Tech

In 2024, Patrick Mahomes donated $5 million to his alma mater, Texas Tech, to support stadium and football center projects.

2024: Chiefs' Season Performance and Mahomes's Achievements

In the 2024 season, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs aimed for a third consecutive Super Bowl win, with Mahomes surpassing Len Dawson as the Chiefs' all-time passing yards leader. He achieved his 77th regular season win, surpassing Tom Brady and Roger Staubach, reached 30,000 career passing yards faster than any other quarterback, led the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, won the AFC West title for the ninth consecutive time, and clinched the top AFC seed. Mahomes concluded the 2024 season with 3,928 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

2024: Lost Super Bowl LIX

In the 2024 season, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to their third straight Super Bowl, but they lost to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, missing a historic three-peat.