Patrick Mahomes’ ‘Knuckleball’ Gets a Straight No from Jason and Travis Kelce After Being Inspired by Padres’ Matt Waldron

Patrick Mahomes‘The knuckleball won’t work! THE Kansas City The Chiefs QB attempted a knuckleball last minicamp, apparently inspired by Matt Waldron, a pitcher for the MLB team the San Diego Padres and famous for his masterful knuckleballs. Although this variation is very useful in baseball, according to Travis Kelce And Jason Kelceit might not work in the NFL.

In the June 19 episode Podcast “New Heights”, the Kelce brothers have spoken out about Mahomes’ viral knuckleball video. Jason Kelce added: “Let’s be honest, if he’s trying to learn the knuckleball, it has nothing to do with being a better quarterback because no one wants to catch that.” Kelce’s older brother later recalled struggling, when former Eagles QB Carson Wentz threw a ball with a “vicious spiral” it was “wobble” in the air.

However, Travis Kelce came to the aid of his teammates. “Pat wouldn’t even think about throwing a knuckleball.” » said Travis Kelce. Mahomes has 2,386 completed passes with an outstanding completion rate of 66.5, which shows the NFL star’s excellent ball control. Travis Kelce clarified that Mahomes was just having fun to keep the mood going “light. »

Well, it all started when on Wednesday, during the Kansas City Chiefs’ three-day minicamp, a video emerged of Mahomes practicing his throwing mechanics and throwing a football with the unmistakable spin – or lack thereof – of ‘a knuckleball has gone viral. It turns out Mahomes was aiming for that fastball, taking inspiration from Padres right-hander Matt Waldron. “I’m trying to learn the knuckleball that guy Waldron from the Padres throws,” Mahomes wrote in an article on X.

Waldron, 27, a devoted Chiefs fan, expressed his excitement upon finding out Mahomes was considering his gift, saying: “It’s a little crazy. As if I lived in a different universe.

Mahomes also has a history with baseball. Before leaving the sport for good in 2016, he played as a relief pitcher for the Texas Tech Athletics Red Raiders. Although “Showtime” is more accurate than not, there are times when Mahomes’ throws are difficult to read.

Travis Kelce’s Tips for Catching Patrick Mahomes’ Tricky Throws

In the same podcast, Travis Kelce also revealed some of Patrick Mahomes’ trickiest throws. According to the Chiefs’ TE, “You can tell sometimes it’s going to be just a little funky.” Kelce used the “Hourly” throws from number 15 of the Chiefs as an example to illustrate the passes that are not visible to come “out of hand” up to halfway in the air. Kelce explained that such throws are not easy to catch and the receiver must put his whole body behind the ball to recover it safely.

Throwing original passes is nothing new for the Texas native. During the 2023 preseason, Mahomes completed a behind-the-back pass that he never attempted in regular season games. However, one trick that Mahomes performed successfully in the game was the no-look pass. During the 2018 season, the star QB threw his famous no-look pass to Demarcus Robinson during a crucial game against the Ravens. To achieve this requires incredible aim and arm strength, and Mahomes credits his time in baseball for these attributes.

In a 2019 interview with Kevin Clark, the NFL star thanked his father and former MLB player Patrick Mahomes Sr. for coaching him. He said, “My father has been tossing me around for a long time, well, forever. I think it helped develop arm strength, accuracy and touch… It’s something I’ve always done. I immediately introduced him to football.

While the knuckleball might not be the best idea in an NFL game, Mahomes’ time in baseball prepared him for a career that saw him win four Super Bowls. As for his current status, Patrick Mahomes is preparing for the Chiefs’ training camp in July before the regular season begins in September.