Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (born September 17, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He is the son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes. He initially played college football and college baseball at Texas Tech University. Following his sophomore year, he quit baseball to focus solely on football. In his junior year, he led all NCAA Division I FBS players in multiple categories including passing yards (5,052 yards) and passing touchdowns (53 touchdowns). He then entered the 2017 NFL Draft where he was the tenth overall selection by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes spent his rookie season as the backup to Alex Smith. After the Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins the following season, Mahomes was named the starter. That season, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He became the only quarterback in history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season in both college and the NFL. He also joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to throw 50 touchdown passes and 5,000 yards in a single season. For his performance in his first season as starter, he was named to the Pro Bowl, named First Team All-Pro, and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Mahomes, along with Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton, and Steve McNair, is one of only four African-American quarterbacks to win the AP MVP award.