Vincent Frank
It’s happening. And we’re pretty sure Kansas City Chiefs fans couldn’t be more excited. With nothing to play for and already locked into the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, Kansas City will sit starting quarterback Alex Smith. In his stead, rookie top-10 pick Patrick Mahomes will receive the first start of his career.
Patrick Mahomes will start on Sunday against the Broncos, per Andy Reid.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) December 27, 2017
There had been plenty of Chiefs fans pushing for Mahomes to overtake Smith as the team’s starter when Kansas City found itself mired in a slump earlier this season. But since losing six of seven, the Chiefs have won their past three games — capturing the AFC West title in the process.
For his part, Smith finishes the regular season having put up a career-best performance. He completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 4,042 yards with 26 touchdowns compared to five interceptions en route to leading the league’s sixth-best scoring offense.
In starting Mahomes against Denver this weekend, the Chiefs will be able to get a glimpse into their future at quarterback. Whether said future starts in 2017 or is extended beyond that depends a lot on how Smith and the Chiefs perform in the playoffs.
But at the very least, Mahomes will see some live-game action before his rookie season draws to a conclusion. He has yet to attempt a regular season pass.
