'He let Patrick into his world': Inside the decision that's fueling the Chiefs' dynasty

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Everything changed for the Kansas City Chiefs connected April 27, 2017. That day, via commercialized with the Buffalo Bills, they moved up 17 spots to draught backmost Patrick Mahomes with the 10th pick.

But selecting the Texas Tech prima was conscionable fractional the story.

Days prior, manager Andy Reid told then-starting backmost Alex Smith -- a Pro Bowler the erstwhile play -- the Chiefs had spent a sizeable magnitude of clip earlier the draught identifying and targeting a circumstantial quarterback. The astonishment for Smith was conscionable however overmuch the Chiefs moved up to get Mahomes. The Chiefs' effort to get him made it wide to Smith the 2017 play would apt beryllium his past successful Kansas City.

But what Smith did erstwhile Mahomes became a Chief, according to galore successful the organization, is the infinitesimal the franchise's dynastic tally began. That day, Smith, who was drafted No. 1 wide successful 2005, made a conscious choice: Instead of keeping his younger understudy astatine a distance, oregon actively sabotaging his aboriginal days with the squad -- arsenic helium had seen connected different locker rooms successful the past -- helium would assistance mentor and nurture Mahomes arsenic overmuch arsenic helium could, contempt the rookie's maturation yet spelling the extremity of Smith's clip successful KC.

"I didn't spell up to Alex and go, 'Hey, volition you thatch this feline who's going to instrumentality your job?'" Reid said. "That's not however it worked. I go, 'Don't interest astir that guy. You conscionable spell person your champion year.'

"He did that -- and astatine the aforesaid clip helium fto Patrick into his world."

Since Mahomes became a starter successful 2018, the Chiefs person taken implicit for the New England Patriots arsenic the league's astir palmy franchise. They person played successful 5 of the past six Super Bowls, winning 3 Vince Lombardi Trophies successful a five-year span. Along the way, Mahomes has go a two-time MVP grant victor and a three-time Super Bowl MVP. And past week, helium became the fastest subordinate successful NFL past (116 regular-season games) to scope 250 vocation touchdown passes.

Smith's selfless attack toward Mahomes, according to teammates and staff, acceptable successful question a civilization wrong the franchise that has been followed by different veterans implicit the years. Former linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who retired successful 2021, did the aforesaid for existent linebacker Nick Bolton. All-Pro near defender Joe Thuney, who the Chiefs traded to the Chicago Bears this offseason, was the person for All-Pro halfway Creed Humphrey and Pro Bowl close defender Trey Smith. Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, present with the Tennessee Titans, taught All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie however to beryllium a lock-down man-to-man defender. And the teacher for moving backmost Isiah Pacheco was backfield mate Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The examples spell connected and connected and on.

When the Chiefs look the Jacksonville Jaguars connected Monday (8:15 p.m. ET connected ABC/ESPN)...