Andy Reid takes a strong stance on Patrick Mahomes’ surprise trick play in Chiefs preseason

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Detroit Lions on Saturday in NFL preseason action. Sure, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions are 0-2 this preseason as they work out the kinks, but few are terribly concerned — especially in light of Patrick Mahomes delivering some magic even in defeat.

Mahomes’ behind-the-back-pass to Travis Kelce in the first quarter of Saturday’s eventual 24-23 defeat captured international attention. The two-time MVP’s audacity — even in a game that didn’t count toward the standings — left it clear to many that he is a talent unlike any other in the NFL. What wasn’t clear yet was how Mahomes’ head coach felt about the risky sequence.

.@tkelce ran the wrong route, so @patrickmahomes threw it behind his back because he was mad at him. 😅

“Out of spite, I threw a behind-the-back pass.”

📺: #DETvsKC on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/UJZavoLryV

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2024

Reid’s dry response to Mahomes’ magic

Following Saturday’s loss to the Lions, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that he was “glad” Mahomes’ gamble paid off for a first down to Kelce. Reid said he did not authorize a behind-the-back pass on the play — that wasn’t the design — but as usual with Mahomes, the superstar signal-caller made it work anyway.

“Got to think positive,” Reid said, admitting he had never seen a throw like that in-game. “They do it in basketball every game, several times in every game. So it’s not that big of a deal.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid on the Patrick Mahomes behind-the-back pass: “I’m glad he completed it.”

— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) August 17, 2024

Mahomes himself even admitted that he didn’t hike the ball expecting to execute a behind-the-back pass, but it happened as a consequence of the play breaking down. More incredibly, the three-time Super Bowl champion did not rule out that he would try the pass again if his team needed him to pull off the spectacular. As if you needed another reason to watch the Chiefs, this would be it — Mahomes could make this pass again.

“It’s not something that I want to try to major in,” Mahomes said. “It might be something that just kind of happens every once in a while.”

Chiefs HC Andy Reid reveals his thoughts on Patrick Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass https://t.co/zEqimat14E pic.twitter.com/HHhWZYKKoC

— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) August 19, 2024