Robert Saleh pokes fun at Patrick Mahomes: Don’t let his ‘little old man jog’ fool you

Robert Saleh knows a thing or two about playing against Patrick Mahomes on football’s biggest stage.

New York’s head coach is a year removed from losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Saleh coordinated San Francisco’s defense with the 49ers leading for the majority of the game.

Now, ahead of its Super Bowl showdown against Kansas City, Saleh has some advice for Tampa Bay’s defense on how to stop Mahomes — and he poked fun at the quarterback in the process.

“You’ve gotta be relentless,” Saleh said in an appearance on NBC Sports’ PFT live. “You have to be relentless. Just when you think you might have him, he might step two steps back and throw off his back foot. I mean, he has ridiculous arm talent, he’s got tremendous accuracy, he’s got tremendous mobility.

“Anytime you’re a pass rusher, just understand that he might do his little old man jog in between plays where it looks like his feet hurt, but don’t kid yourself. He’s got tremendous mobility. His arm strength is ridiculous. You have to be relentless all the way through. And understand that there could be a play and a second play that happens just because of his ability to extend plays and make the throws that other people can’t.”

Even Mahomes found Saleh’s comments to be amusing.

Saleh’s advice could come in handy for Buccaneers defensive coordinator and ex-Jets head coach Todd Bowles. In last year’s Super Bowl, Saleh’s defense held Kansas City to 10 points through three quarters before the Chiefs rifled off 21 unanswered points in the final six minutes of play.

Regardless, Tampa Bay is going to have to get after the superstar quarterback, who is privy to getting the ball out quickly. Something that is all too familiar to Saleh, who was just minutes away from securing his second Super Bowl ring last year.