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The 2017 NFL Draft lives in infamy for Chicago Bears fans after selecting Mitchell Trubisky after trading up to No. 2 overall, while passing on Patrick Mahomes, who has turned into a superstar with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bears fans have tried to forget that April day, but Patrick Mahomes Sr. brought it back up following his son’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship to return to the Super Bowl for the third time in his career.
Mahomes spoke to 670 The Score about the 23-20, last-second win over Joe Burrow and company, but the conversation changed trajectory when his son's draft was brought up.
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Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, leads a huddle prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Coming out of Texas Tech, NFL evaluators were in love with Mahomes’ arm talent and ability to extend plays, pegging him as a first-round pick. It was just a matter of where he was going.
Mahomes Sr. said his son "wholeheartedly thought" the Bears would select him.
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"They told him they were going to draft him," he said. "We thought he was going to be the third pick overall and go to Chicago. He had a great meeting when he went there and liked all the guys that were doing the stuff there and thought he was going to be a Bear. Then, once they traded up and got Mitch, it kind of hurt him. It really did. He always knew that Kansas City had told him that they were going to come up and get him. They just didn’t know how far they’d have to go. But initially, he thought he was going to be a Chicago Bear."
The Chiefs would go on to select Patrick Mahomes 10th overall in the draft, making him the second quarterback off the board. Deshaun Watson would be selected by the Houston Texans two picks later.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, left, and tight end Travis Kelce celebrate a win over Jacksonville in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Since that day, Mahomes has thrived in the red and yellow. He was the league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018, his first year as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, throwing for 5,097 yards with 50 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
In 2019, Mahomes captured his first Super Bowl title, with many believing he had a shot to rival Tom Brady in terms of Super Bowl success. However, Brady would defeat Mahomes with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 despite the wunderkind’s magician-like efforts to get back in the game.
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Mahomes now has another shot for his second ring, while the Bears own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after playing to a 3-14 record.
However, it does not appear they need a quarterback with that selection. Justin Fields, who they traded up to select in the 2021 Draft, showcased his ability to run and throw in his second NFL season, though the record didn’t say so.
He needs to improve when he is in the pocket, but Fields is dangerous when he is outside it, proving he can carve through defenses with his legs. Fields rushed for 1,143 yards with eight touchdowns, while throwing for 17 to 11 interceptions.
Pat Mahomes, father to Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, looks on after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs defeated the Titans 35-24. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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Hindsight is always 20/20, but Bears fans will reminisce yet again about what could have been as Mahomes takes the State Farm Stadium field against the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 12 in Super Bowl LVII.