Patrick Mahomes‘ performance at the 2017 NFL Combine saw him run a pretty slow 40-yard dash by his standards. It’s something the quarterback wants to forget, but it was brought up again on Thursday.
That’s because Braden Fiske, a defensive tackle out of Florida State, ran a faster 40-yard dash than the Super Bowl champion – despite being more than 70 pounds heavier.
Earlier in the week, Mahomes tweeted, ‘As the combine starts this week! All I ask is that @nflnetwork doesn’t use my 40 overlay anymore.’
To the dismay of the Chiefs’ signal-caller, that’s exactly what the NFL did – even quote-tweeting Mahomes’ original post so he could be tagged in it.
Mahomes reacted by tweeting out a GIF of a frustrated child.
Before the NFL Combine, Patrick Mahomes asked the NFL Network to not show his 40-yd dash
But that’s exactly what they did when Braden Fiske beat out his old time from 2017
Fiske ran a 4.78, beating Mahomes’ underwhelming time from 2017 by 0.02 seconds
At that 2017 NFL Combine, Mahomes put up a 4.80 in the 40-yard dash, had a 30-inch vertical jump, and a nine-foot broad jump.
The NFL’s Next Gen Stats projected him as the second best quarterback in the 2017 class behind future Houston Texans pick Deshaun Watson.
Just to prove how impure of a science NFL Draft projections are, the NFL’s own website gave Mahomes a prospect grade of 6.30 – putting him in the seventh-tier of prospects and indicating he’d ‘eventually be a plus starter’.
At the time, he was noted for a number of strengths: his body type, his swagger and confidence in his game, his improving accuracy, the massive arm strength, and his ability to be a dual-threat passer.
But he was also pointed out for weaknesses – such as his inconsistent approach, his impatience and unreliable decision making, and how his desire to make big plays often put him in trouble.
Eventually, Mahomes was able to work through these things in his pro career – and he’s currently relaxing after a long season, which ended with a Super Bowl.
