In the NFL, where highlight reels often steal the spotlight, Patrick Mahomes is crafting a different masterpiece. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, known for his no-look passes and scrambling magic, is now turning heads with his leadership playbook.

Dan Orlovsky, former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst, recently pulled back the curtain on Mahomes’ leadership style. In a candid moment during a production meeting, Orlovsky tried to coax some frustration out of Mahomes regarding the team’s struggles with dropped passes. But Mahomes, cool as a cucumber in January, didn’t take the bait.

“He kept saying, we all just got to get better. We all just got to keep working,” Orlovsky shared in a video shared in X. “Never once blamed the guys whose one job is to catch the ball.” This moment left Orlovsky marveling, a testament to Mahomes’ unwavering team-first mentality.

This isn’t just a one-off display of good leadership. Mahomes has been cooking up this recipe for success since he took the reins in Kansas City. Back in 2018, when the team was rocked by the Kareem Hunt controversy, a young Mahomes stepped up to the plate. As reported by NBC Sports, he asked coach Andy Reid for a private moment with the team.

“He loved Kareem Hunt, as did everyone in the room, and Hunt would continue to be a friend,” Mahomes told his teammates. “Everyone in this room will stick together and they’d get through this, and we’ve come too far to let one thing derail this season, and we won’t let it.” Fast forward to Super Bowl LIV, and there’s Mahomes, down but not out, rallying his troops like a modern-day Knute Rockne. “It’s gonna be special. They’re gonna talk about this forever, baby,” he declared as per Sports Illustrated, his words a battle cry that echoed through the locker room and onto the field.

Orlovsky believes this leadership style is the secret sauce that young quarterbacks should be trying to bottle. “I think so many of these young quarterbacks can just learn from that,” he emphasized. It’s not just about arm strength or reading defenses; it’s about lifting your teammates, taking responsibility, and fostering a culture of collective improvement.

How does Patrick Mahomes’s leadership transform a team?

Since Mahomes took the helm in 2018, the Chiefs have been as reliable as a Swiss watch in January, reaching the AFC Championship game in each of his five seasons as a starter. But it’s not just the wins that tell the story – it’s how they’re notched up that’s turning heads.

Andy Reid, the Chiefs’ head honcho, can’t stop singing Mahomes’ praises. “He’s a natural leader and always grinding, whether that’s on the field, in the weight room or watching film,” Reid gushed to ESPN. “He wants to be the best. He’s a competitor, and his teammates feed off his energy. He makes us all better as an organization.”

This isn’t just coach-speak. Clark Hunt, the Chiefs’ owner, described Mahomes as “an extraordinary leader and a credit to the Kansas City community” after inking him to a mammoth contract extension in 2020. Mahomes’ influence stretches far beyond the chalk lines of Arrowhead Stadium. What’s truly remarkable is how Mahomes has adapted his leadership style as the team has evolved.

In 2023, with a receiving corps that’s greener than the Arrowhead turf, Mahomes embraced a new approach. “I thought I did a great job of just when it wasn’t there deep, get it to underneath guys (and) try to get the first downs,” he explained after a crucial win. “If not, we can punt, man. I know that’s not how I’ve always rolled. It’s different, man, to have this good of a defense.”

This willingness to adjust his game for the greater good isn’t just good leadership – it’s championship-caliber stuff. As Henry McKenna of Fox Sports noted in August 2024, “Mahomes has a special way of balancing the simple joys of football while staying focused on the ultimate goal: another win in February.”

Even in the face of adversity, like the controversial loss to the Buffalo Bills in December 2023, Mahomes keeps his eye on the bigger picture. “I’m just trying to be the best person that I can be,” he told Daily Mail. “The face of the franchise, NFL stuff, that’s going to come and go. But if I can show the person I am every single day and that sets an example, that’s what I want to do when my career’s over.”

From blindfolded accuracy challenges to hook-and-ladder plays in training camp, Mahomes is redefining what it means to be a leader in the NFL. He’s showing that you can be both a fierce competitor and a supportive teammate, a goofy trickster and a laser-focused professional. In doing so, he’s not just leading the Chiefs – he’s setting a new standard for quarterbacks across the league.

As Orlovsky put it, the Chiefs ended up winning the Super Bowl because their guy “never once blamed those other people.”