Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes says he's reading defenses better than before

Most football observers were left shocked when Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes admitted last offseason that he "didn’t understand how to read defenses until halfway through" the previous campaign. After all, the 25-year-old had already earned regular season and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors by the time he made those comments. 

Mahomes dropped some bad news for opponents during Monday's Super Bowl media availability. 

"I think every single year you’re in the NFL, you learn more and more," Mahomes explained, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "You get different looks. Especially with our offense, we get a lot of crazy looks and crazy blitzes and stuff like that. You have to learn how to adjust and learn how to go out there and have successful plays. This year, I felt super comfortable recognizing defenses, recognizing blitzes, recognizing coverages and being able to get us into the right play and get a successful play going and a completion. It’s definitely something that I’ll continue to grow and continue to learn, but I feel like I’m at a way different level than I even was last year." 

Per ESPN stats, Mahomes finished this past regular season second in the NFL with a total QBR of 82.9, behind only uncrowned MVP Aaron Rodgers. While it's hardly shocking that a fourth-year pro is evolving and improving as a signal-caller, defensive coordinators might find themselves fearing just how much better Mahomes will get as he progresses toward his prime.