'He's grown a lot in that aspect' --Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt on how Patrick Mahomes has changed since 2018

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Nick Roesch | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 8:20 PM ET

It's hard to believe that Patrick Mahomes is heading into his seventh season as the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback.

Mahomes has experienced unprecedented success thus far in his career. He spent almost the entirety of his rookie season on the bench, starting just one game. In 2018 he took the NFL by storm, passing for 5,097 yards and what is still a career-high 50 touchdowns.

The Chiefs' offense as a whole was historic that year. Another player who was a part of it was running back Kareem Hunt, who entered the league with Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2018 Hunt accumulated 1,202 total yards 11 TDs in 11 games played with the team.

While speaking to the media following an OTA practice on Thursday, Hunt was asked what has most notably changed about Mahomes from 2018 until when Hunt returned to Kansas City in 2024.

"Yeah, I mean, just how much he knows the system now," Hunt said. "And just seeing how he's able to recognize defenses, and, call the plays on the fly if he needs to. He's grown a lot in that aspect."

The mental aspect of the game has definitely caught up with the physical for Mahomes over the past few years, which played a big role in the Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023. Mahomes hasn't quite had the same caliber of weapons to work with since that unforgettable 2018 offense, but has been able to carry the unit with his intelligence and savvy.

Unfortunately for Hunt, he missed out on the three total Super Bowl wins by the Chiefs since he left. He came close to getting his first ring last year, and is back in 2025 for another shot. Hopefully things can come full circle for Hunt, and Mahomes can continue to add to his Hall of Fame legacy.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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