NBC NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth admitted something shocking that most analysts rarely admit to — liking one particular player. Collinsworth said that, yes, he does have a bias toward Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Cris Collinsworth Admits Patrick Mahomes Bias
Collinsworth makes no apologies about how he feels about Mahomes. He told Kay Adams on her “Up and Adams” podcast that he could care less about what fans think about his bias toward Mahomes.
“Honestly, I don’t care if anyone thinks I like Patrick Mahomes because I do. I do like the guy. He’s been one of the most phenomenal players we’ve seen in the league for a long, long time,” Collinsworth said.
Mahomes’ legacy has been called into question after his Super Bowl loss. Although he threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, he also had three turnovers, which turned into points for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some NFL analysts are pumping the breaks on Mahomes’ GOAT talk since the Chiefs didn’t achieve their three-peat.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on his show “First Take” that Mahomes will have to win several more Super Bowls to remain in the GOAT conversation.
“You’ve got to win two more titles,” Smith said of his calculations on the matter. “You’ve got to get at least five. And the reason you’ve got to get at least five, you’ve got to overcome the two bad performances in the Super Bowl.”
It’s interesting that Smith would say that, considering one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning, has only won two Super Bowls throughout his career. Yet, he is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Mahomes really has nothing to prove. He’s already surpassed his peers with his number of Super Bowl wins, and when he retires, he’ll be a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
One game shouldn’t define a career, and this game won’t define Mahomes’. He’s not even 30 years old yet, so he has plenty of time to return to another Super Bowl. The idea that there are already those ready to dismiss his accomplishments is downright ridiculous.
So maybe Collinsworth was doing something that many in the media weren’t doing this week: defending the young quarterback’s legacy and protecting it from those who are trying to tear it down after one loss.
It’s not only unfair to Mahomes but also puts undue pressure on a man who has already defined his own legacy.