NEW ORLEANS — It’s been seven years since Patrick Mahomes and Alex Smith were teammates, yet the pair’s one season together in Kansas City continues to creep into conversations concerning the Chiefs.

“I’m not saying he couldn’t have been as great as he is now if he didn’t sit. But to be with Alex Smith, I thought was something you can’t buy.”

—  Chiefs coach Andy Reid

It came up again during Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s press conference Tuesday ahead of Super Bowl LIX, where Kansas City will play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (4:30 p.m. MST, Fox) at Caesars Superdome.

Smith, the former University of Utah great and College Football Hall of Famer, was near the twilight of his pro career — and what ended up being his final season in Kansas City — when he served as a mentor to the then-rookie Mahomes during the 2017 season.

Special Collector's Issue: "1984: The Year BYU was Second to None"
Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football's 1984 National Championship season.
Related
Andy Reid and the Chiefs are avoiding three-peat talk. But reality is, history could be 60 minutes away
Andy Reid’s favorite book trilogy? Latter-day Saints will like the answer

Asked about how important it was for Mahomes to sit his first season and learn from Smith, Reid continued to praise how Smith handled the situation.

“I’m not saying he couldn’t have been as great as he is now if he didn’t sit. But to be with Alex Smith, I thought was something you can’t buy,” Reid said. “And he was able to sit there and watch a guy that’s the ultimate professional on and off the field, and just get an idea of the lay of the land, of how how things work in this league.

“And I think that’s helped him in that part of his career. I’m sure if he stepped in as a rookie and played, he probably would have been just as great as he is, but I think that helped for sure.”

In the seven years since Mahomes took over for Smith following that 2017 season, the Chiefs have advanced to the Super Bowl five times.

View Comments

If Kansas City wins Sunday, that will be the Chiefs’ fourth Super Bowl title — and third straight — since Kansas City made that quarterback change.

Back in 2020 prior to the the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LIV — their first Super Bowl crown in this recent string of dominance — Reid complimented Smith for his work with Mahomes.

“He wasn’t asked to do this, but he let Patrick into his world, and Patrick handled it the right way,” Reid said of Smith’s acceptance of the situation, as the Deseret News previously reported. “He was humble around Alex and didn’t try to overstep his bounds with Alex but yet competed.

“Alex kind of let him tag along with him on the field and off the field, showed him how to be a pro — how you study, diet, your workout plan, how you work your family into the National Football League and be a great football player.”

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.