Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins recently made comments about quarterback Patrick Mahomes that might irk some KC fans.
Watkins, who signed with the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, told reporters this week that Aaron Rodgers is on a “whole different level” than Mahomes.
“It makes me calm,” said Watkins of Rodgers. “Just to be in the huddle with him, just the way he carries himself.”
If you just look at that part of the quote, it’s easy to see how Chiefs fans could be annoyed.
But Watkins wasn’t taking a shot at Mahomes at all. He prefaced what he said about Rodgers with “I think Pat is unbelievably good”.
Mahomes is on track to be a Hall of Famer. And outside of some freak injury happening, he’s going to get there.
But for now, Rodgers still has 12 years of NFL experience on Mahomes. Nothing in sports is more valuable than experience. That’s why Mahomes isn’t the same quarterback in 2022 that he’ll be in 2030.
That’s really all Watkins is saying. Rodgers is on a different level because of what he’s accomplished in the NFL and how much he’s seen. That’s not an insult to Mahomes. It’s just how it is.
One day, Mahomes will be looked at the same way. He’ll be an elder statesman in the NFL. For now, though, guys like Rodgers and Tom Brady are carrying that torch.
