by Pocket Presence and Precision: What Mahomes Can Learn from Rodgers
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When Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season, it was a matchup of two of the league’s most talented quarterbacks. While Mahomes has already established himself as one of the game’s rising stars with an MVP award and Super Bowl title in his young career, he still has plenty to learn – and Rodgers is the perfect veteran to study.
In the postgame press conference after the Chiefs’ narrow victory, Mahomes openly acknowledged watching Rodgers’s film to improve aspects of his own game. “He’s someone that, even at his age, is still learning and still trying to get better every single year,” Mahomes said. “That’s something I try to do. I try to watch the way he plays the game.”
One area Mahomes has singled out is Rodgers’s pocket presence and ability to deliver accurate throws even under heavy pressure. Both quarterbacks are known for their athleticism and ability to extend plays outside the pocket with their legs. However, Rodgers has taken his game to another level with how effectively he feels and navigates pressure from within the pocket.
Rodgers has a preternatural sense of when and where pressure is coming from. With a quick, compact delivery, he’s a master of sliding and stepping up in the pocket to buy just enough time to fire pinpoint passes into tight windows. Even with defenders in his face, Rodgers seems to always have a plan to either get rid of the ball or scramble for yardage.
This level of pocket awareness and anticipation is something Mahomes is still developing in his fourth NFL season. While his natural talents allow him to make highlight-reel throws on the run, learning to calmly process pressure from his veteran counterpart will serve Mahomes well deep into his career. The ability to consistently make plays inside the structure of the offense is key for longevity.
Rodgers’s footwork and ability to subtly shift within the pocket to find throwing lanes is a subtle art. By studying Rodgers’s film, Mahomes can work on maintaining poised footwork under duress. He can learn when to step up and slide and how to keep his eyes downfield even as he feels defenders closing in. Developing this kind of advanced pocket mastery at a young age will allow Mahomes’s game to reach its full potential.
Game Management and Calculated Risks
Another key area Mahomes has cited is Rodgers’s mastery of game management. While Mahomes’ gunslinger mentality has fueled incredible comebacks in his young career, Rodgers operates with more precision and strategy. He’s a maestro at dissecting defenses pre- and post-snap to understand leverage and make optimal decisions.
Rodgers picks his spots to take chances, but more often than not, he takes the safe, high-percentage throw that moves the chains. Even when plays break down, his scramble drills are designed to either get yards or throw the ball away – he rarely takes unnecessary risks. This level of cerebral, strategic play is what has allowed Rodgers to sustain elite production deep into his 30s.
For Mahomes, who sometimes forces throws into tight windows, learning this aspect of Rodgers’s game could help take his play to an even higher level. Rodgers understands exactly how far he needs to move the ball on a given down and makes choices accordingly. Mahomes would benefit from studying Rodgers’s presnap reads and how he processes coverages post-snap to make optimal choices.
Rodgers also understands when to live to fight another down. Mahomes’ youthful exuberance has led to the occasional ill-advised heave into coverage. Learning when to throw the ball away or scramble to set up a manageable second or third down from Rodgers will help Mahomes avoid costly mistakes. Overall, Rodgers’s strategic approach could help Mahomes take better care of the ball and manage games even more efficiently.
Longevity in a Physically Demanding Role
At 37 years old, Rodgers is still performing at an MVP level deep into his career, showing no signs of slowing down. His commitment to taking exemplary care of his body is something any young quarterback would be wise to emulate. Rodgers meticulously monitors his nutrition, training regimen, and recovery protocols to maintain peak physical condition.
For Mahomes, still early in his playing days, learning from Rodgers’s strategies for longevity could help extend his own career. Rodgers sets the standard for offseason training, practicing yoga and advanced recovery methods. He pays close attention to flexibility, mobility, strength building, and understands how to avoid overuse injuries. Rodgers’s commitment to his physical well-being is truly remarkable given the pounding an NFL quarterback endures.
Adopting similar disciplines could help Mahomes avoid injuries that often plague quarterbacks in their late 20s and 30s. With Rodgers as a model, Mahomes seems primed to play at an elite level well into his mid-30s if he implements Rodgers’s strategies for nutrition, flexibility, mobility work, and recovery. Taking exceptional care of his body now will allow Mahomes’s talents to shine brightly for years to come.
Leadership Through Adversity
While both quarterbacks are vocal leaders of their respective offenses, Rodgers has navigated unique challenges that show his strong leadership qualities. From contract disputes to a turbulent coaching change, Rodgers has always kept the team focused with his even-keeled demeanor and play on the field. His ability to rise above off-field noise and guide his teammates is admirable.
For Mahomes, who has enjoyed stability in Kansas City so far, observing how Rodgers has weathered adversity could prove invaluable as challenges inevitably arise down the road. Rodgers maintains an even-keeled professionalism in all circumstances and lets his play do the talking. His veteran poise in difficult situations is a model for any young leader to follow.
Rodgers also exhibits compassionate leadership, regularly defending and praising his teammates publicly. His inclusive approach helps foster strong locker room chemistry and camaraderie, traits that are just as important for team success as on-field production. Mahomes seems to already possess strong interpersonal skills, but can certainly learn from Rodgers’s veteran example of bringing people together through both words and actions.
In Summary
While Mahomes’s talents have already brought a Super Bowl title to Kansas City, he understands there are always ways to grow as a quarterback. By studying Aaron Rodgers’s film and observing his career, Mahomes can learn advanced techniques for pocket presence, game management, longevity, and leadership. Rodgers has truly set the gold standard at the quarterback position with sustained elite play for over a decade.
For any young quarterback, Rodgers presents a virtual master class in technique, strategy, physical conditioning, and handling adversity. Mahomes would be wise to soak up all he can from the veteran as he works to elevate his own game even higher and enjoy a career of similar longevity producing at the highest level. Their Week 9 matchup showed fans of two generational talents, but more importantly, it highlighted for Mahomes all that can still be learned from the great Aaron Rodgers.
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