Mahomes throws three more INTs at Chiefs practice
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes continued to show inconsistency in Wednesday's practice, tossing a trio of interceptions to bring his total to seven through six sessions at training camp.
Per ESPN's Adam Teicher, one of Mahomes' interceptions on Wednesday came in the end zone, after he had an open lane to score with his feet but opted to throw late instead.
"That's the first thing I said when I came to the sideline: I could have run it," Mahomes told reporters. "[The coaches] said, 'Then just do it. Don't train bad habits.' ... That was the play that needed to be made on that one."
Another interception was the result of the young quarterback calling the wrong play in the huddle.
"Being able to get in and out of the huddle, calling the right plays and then not making a bad play worse is something I've got to keep getting better at," Mahomes said. "I have to eliminate those mistakes. It's something that can be described as a learning process.
"Hopefully I make those mistakes now and don't make them in the game."
Known for his strong arm and aggressive approach, Mahomes has made plenty of big plays in camp as well, including a long touchdown to Tyreek Hill on Wednesday. But there have been growing pains as he settles into the starting job that was vacated with the trade of careful-but-steady veteran Alex Smith.
"He had a few hiccups today," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy told reporters of Mahomes. "But that's a part of the process. When you're young you need those hiccups because they become valuable lessons.
"...Would we like for him to be perfect? Yes. We'd like for him to have the highest quarterback rating ever. ... He just needs to be poised under pressure."
Mahomes, 22, played in just one game as a rookie, a Week 17 start when the Chiefs sat their starters against the Denver Broncos. He went 22-for-35 for 284 yards and an interception, but led a drive in the closing seconds for a game-winning field goal.
The Chiefs moved up 17 spots in the 2017 draft to take Mahomes 10th overall out of Texas Tech. He threw 29 interceptions in 32 career games with the Red Raiders, including 25 in 25 games over his final two seasons.
Smith, who was dealt to the Washington Redskins in February, threw five picks and led the NFL in interception percentage (1.0) last season for the second time in his career. He hasn't thrown more than eight interceptions in a season since 2010.
--Field Level Media
