On the latest edition of the “Peter King Podcast,” Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes revealed encouraging words offered by living legend Tom Brady shortly after Brady guided the New England Patriots to an overtime win over Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game back in January 2019.
“After stuff had calmed down and I was going through the back tunnels, he grabbed me and pulled me to the side,” Mahomes said about his interaction with Brady, per Andrew McCarty of The Spun. “All he really said was, ‘You’re doing it the right way, continue doing it the way you’re doing it.'”
Mahomes and Brady may forever be linked for multiple reasons. As of February 2024, Brady is the only signal-caller to defeat a Mahomes-led team on Super Bowl Sunday. Mahomes has thus far earned three Super Bowl rings and three Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards, while Brady retired a seven-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Super Bowl MVP.

Shortly after Kansas City defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared how Brady previously handed “the keys” of the NFL over to Mahomes. During his chat with King, Mahomes elaborated on the special message he received from Brady roughly five years ago.
“That for me was a stamp of approval, I’m going to continue to work this hard,” Mahomes continued. “Because if he says I’m doing it the right way, that’s the guy you want to be saying that. Him seeing that from the other side of a football field and seeing the hard work I’ve put in and how I’ve developed in a season, that’s made me carry that mindset for the rest of my career.”
Some fans and analysts allow themselves to forget in an “embrace debate” sports society how remarkable it is that Mahomes’ name is even mentioned in G.O.A.T. conversations when he is just 28 years old and, theoretically, not yet in his prime as it pertains to being a complete quarterback. Perhaps the biggest shame of all regarding the two players is that fans only got to see a Brady-versus-Mahomes showdown once on football’s biggest stage before TB12 rode off into the sunset of retirement.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers got out of their comfort zone when they decided to hire Arthur Smith to be their next offensive coordinator. Part of hiring an outside candidate that didn’t come up in the organization means you give him the authority to pick and choose his coaching staff. Well, after bringing in his own QB and WR coach, Smith added another assistant on Wednesday, while reshuffling the title of former Steelers QB Coach and interim OC Mike Sullivan. Steelers Hire Matt Baker, Re-title Mike Sullivan Pittsburgh’s newest offensive assistant, Matt Baker, goes way back with Arthur Smith seeing as the two were college teammates at North Carolina before coaching together last season in Atlanta. Baker also has a relationship with recently signed QB Coach Tom Arth, as both spent time at John Carroll. But with the signing of Arth came a change of title for Mike Sullivan via the team’s website. So we’ll see how things come together for Pittsburgh’s offense in 2024, but one thing is for sure, the staff and scheme will look different, and it’s been created in Arthur Smith’s image.

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Oilers Hit Huge Hurdle in Attempts To Trade For Jake Guentzel

As per multiple insider reports, it is no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have their hooks in the water on a lot of players at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline. With a possible need to upgrade the blue line, and some recent questions in goal, they don’t just need a top-six forward. Still, that second-line right-winger is their priority. Many believe they have identified Jake Guentzel out of Pittsburgh as their primary target. Unfortunately, there might be a major problem. Beyond just figuring out what assets to send back to the Penguins or making the salary fit onto the Oilers’ roster, a new wrinkle has been added to the equation, as per Elliotte Friedman. Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that teams are calling Pittsburgh and asking about a contract extension for Guentzel. In other words, they want to know if they can talk to him about extending before they make their trade offers. That poses a big obstacle for Edmonton. They can’t afford to re-sign Guentzel. He’s exclusively a rental in their eyes. So too, if they’re competing with trade bids that are put together for a player who is expected to sign long-term, they likely can’t compete. How Will This Affect the Oilers’ Attempts to Trade For Guentzel? This could pose an issue if multiple teams are making a play for the player but the playing field has changed. Friedman writes: If teams are allowed to try to extend Guentzel before a trade, that hurts Edmonton. They can’t do it. The Oilers are also very aware that for every dollar that comes in, someone needs to go out. So, they are doing legwork in several different directions. Imagine you’re the Florida Panthers and you too have identified Guentzel as a primary target. The Panthers have several contracts expiring this season. They also have room to offer Guentzel $8 or $9 million per season on a long-term deal. If you know he’s interested, you might be willing to give up a first and something else to secure a piece of your future. Whereas, the Oilers have to make sure they don’t overpay for a player that is only going to be with the team for a few months. Giving up multiple assets for someone about to walk out the door is problematic. It just doesn’t make sense to overpay or get into a bidding war. Is There A Way Around This for Edmonton? There are two potential options (which are less likely) that GM Ken Holland could consider. First, they could pay full price for Guentzel, use him as a rental, and then try to trade his rights at the NHL Draft for a pick. Holland considered doing this with Timo Meier last season, but ultimately Meier went to New Jersey. In that scenario, Holland might get a second or a third for the rights to the forward. Alternatively, if Edmonton wants to talk contract with Guentzel they can trade a different forward in the summer. They’ll likely already be losing Warren Foegele, but they could try and trade other money off the roster. The issue here is that most of the Oilers’ top forwards have no-move or no-trade clauses. It’s a tricky spot to be in if the market for Guentzel is vast. If teams make a big move because he’s open to signing long-term, the Oilers may have to pivot.

NFL

One trade, cut and signing the Las Vegas Raiders should make

In 2023, the Raiders missed the playoffs for a second straight season, but a strong finish should give the fan base optimism. After it fired Josh McDaniels in Week 9, Las Vegas went 5-4 under Antonio Pierce, who had his interim tag removed. To excel in Las Vegas, the first-year head coach must upgrade the roster and find players who buy into the culture he’s trying to establish. With that in mind, here is a trade, a cut and a signing the Las Vegas Raiders should make. TRADE: Move up in the draft and take a quarterback Aidan O’Connell — a fourth-round pick out of Purdue — had his moments during his rookie season, but he’s not a franchise QB. In 11 games, he completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 12 TDs, seven interceptions and a below-average 40.5 QBR. The Raiders have the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The top QB prospects might fly off the board, so moving up would be a good idea. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported the Patriots are “open” to trading the third overall pick. Las Vegas should call New England and try to make a deal. If the Raiders trade up, expect them to target 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. Before the QB transferred to LSU, Pierce was “a big fan” of Daniels when they were at Arizona State. CUT: QB Jimmy Garoppolo The NFL recently suspended Garoppolo for violating its Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy. Per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Dianna Russini, the Raiders are expected to cut him in March to avoid paying him an $11.25M roster bonus. While Las Vegas could try to trade Jimmy G, teams won’t be interested in a declining player. Last season, the 32-year-old threw more interceptions (nine) than TDs (seven) in six starts, and the team benched him in favor of O’Connell in Week 9. Cutting Garoppolo with a post-June 1 designation would save $24.07M, which could help the Raiders make a splash in free agency. OTC estimates they have $35.25M in cap room. SIGNING: Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike The Raiders defense improved last season, finishing seventh in the league in points allowed (19.5). Still, it could use one more star to vault to the next level. Madubuike, 26, recorded career highs in sacks (13), tackles for loss (12) and pressures (33). He also finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. His market value is a four-year deal worth $20.3M annually, seventh at his position. That’s a sizeable price tag; however, Las Vegas needs elite defensive players, especially with the team planning to implement special “rules” to stop Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

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Jordan Poole’s struggles make his contract one of the worst in the NBA

Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards during the summer. His tenure with the Golden State Warriors had grown sour. His altercation with Draymond Green in 2022 rocked the franchise. He also appeared frustrated with his role off the bench, as he played back-up to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Moving to the Wizards was supposed to liberate Poole. Instead, his high-volume shooting has failed to pay dividends. His lack of defensive upside has also seriously hindered his new team. As such, ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks, who was speaking on a recent episode of the “Willard and Dibs” show on 95.7 The Game, said some within the NBA believe Poole’s contract is among the worst in the NBA. “A lot of teams are calling the Jordan Poole contract one of the worst deals in the NBA right now. [The Warriors] caught a break there.” Poole has played in 52 games for the Wizards. He’s averaging 15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 40% from the field and 30% from 3-point range. His perimeter shooting has been a particular disappointment following the potential we’ve seen from him during his tenure with the Warriors. The contract Marks is referencing is worth $128 million over four years, with no player or team option. That’s a salary of $32 million a season. Poole is clearly underperforming in contrast to his current salary. Washington has provided Poole with the keys to the offense. He’s getting all the touches and shots that he wants. However, he has to start making the most of his current opportunity. There aren’t many teams in the NBA in a position to show him the kind of patience he’s currently being afforded. It’s worth noting that not every player succeeds during their first season on a new team. Poole’s role is vastly different from the one he comprised in the Bay Area. Wizards fans may not see the best from him until next season at the earliest. However, Washington could be tempted to cut ties with the outspoken guard before then. Especially if they feel like he’s negatively impacting the locker room. As such, Poole’s current struggles could see him joining a new team in the summer. Washington is a rebuilding team. They may not want to be tied to such a significant salary without the on-court production to show for their expenditure. Poole faces some serious questions about his ability to be a primary offensive talent in the league. Right now, he’s failing his first audition.

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The ‘NFL QBs with the most rushing yards in a season’ quiz

With the NFL offseason now in full swing, teams are starting to focus on the annual quarterback carousel. And no team will have more control of that carousel than the Chicago Bears. As owners of the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, it is widely suspected that they will choose a QB come April. That means they must find a new home for incumbent QB Justin Fields. Given that he grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, he’s been linked to the Falcons even before he was drafted, and they are currently the heavy favorites to land the 24-year-old signal-caller. That said, other QB-needy teams, such as the Steelers, may also be interested, especially if it would only take a second-round pick to make a trade happen. Stay tuned. Which brings us to today’s quiz of the day. Fields’ biggest strength is his legs, as his 1,1143 rushing yards in 2022 were the second most ever for QB. So, with that in mind, how many quarterbacks with the most rushing yards in an NFL season can you name in five minutes? Good luck!

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