The 2022 campaign is only a week old, but the first accolade has already arrived for Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after throwing for 360 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs' victory over Arizona. This marks the eighth time that Mahomes has earned the award and his third time earning it following Week 1, as he also did so in 2018 and 2021.
Those previous awards following season-openers are indicative of Mahomes' tendency to start strong, and last Sunday's game was no exception. The 26-year-old quarterback led an offensive attack that racked up 33 first downs, 488 total yards and 14 plays of at least 15 yards while going a perfect six-for-six in the red zone.
In total, Mahomes has now thrown 18 touchdowns in season-opening games without an interception, leading the Chiefs to victory in all five contests. His 18 scoring strikes are the most of any player in Week 1 since 2018.
The performance also marked the third time in the last three seasons that Mahomes tallied 350+ passing yards and at least five touchdowns without an interception. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady, who did it once during that span, has accomplished the same feat. Remarkably, Mahomes is already tied for the second-most such games in league history with three. Brady, who has seven in his more than two-decade career, is the only player with more.
Mahomes will now look to keep it rolling on Thursday as the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Catch the game on Prime Video at 7:15 p.m. CT.
