Broncos Country is afraid to acknowledge the Boogeyman
Jan 29, 2020, 6:38 AM
As I sit here on South Beach – toes in the sand, fruity drink in my hand – I’m thinking about Broncos Country and how they’re reacting to the Chiefs being in the Super Bowl.
I’m sensing a lot of denial, specifically when it comes to Patrick Mahomes. I see a 24-year-old star who’s going to be great for the next decade-plus. If I’m right, that puts the Broncos in a pickle.
How do you deal with that, in your division, year after year? The prospect of that is daunting, even downright depressing.
The response of Broncos fans thus far has been to minimize Mahomes’ dazzling future. Comments range from “He’s just a product of Andy Reid’s system” to “It’s all the weapons he has around him” to “Just wait until he gets $40 million a year and Kansas City can’t pay anyone else.”
Let’s tackle those thoughts one by one.
First, if Andy Reid’s system was so great, why is one of the storylines here in South Florida about Reid finally win the big one? I always chuckle when it comes to the system versus the player debate. It’s always the player. Always.
Secondly, great quarterbacks make the players around them better than they really are. Travis Kelce would be a Pro Bowl-caliber player with any quarterback. With Mahomes, he’s on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. Same thing for Tyreek Hill. Guys like Sammy Watkins and Mecole Hardman are just guys who look a heck of a lot better than they really are with Mahomes running around making plays. If Mahomes is what I think he is, the Chiefs will come and go and he’ll keep making everyone who comes aboard better.
The last part about the money? Not that big of a deal. With Mahomes, Kansas City can feel secure giving him a long, long-term deal. Maybe 10 years. That will allow them to spread the salary cap hits out so the team is not hamstrung. Plus, the NFL shows no signs of slowing down with new multi-billion dollar TV contracts on the horizon, so the salary cap will continue to go up.
I understand why Broncos Country is working overtime to diminish Mahomes. If he turns out to be what I think he will be, then if Denver isn’t careful, they could be what the Jets have been to Tom Brady and the Patriots the last 20 years. That goes beyond depressing.
Here’s my advice for Broncos Country: Put the pressure on your team to develop Drew Lock and to build a top to bottom roster that can compete year in and year out.
Mahomes isn’t going to make it easy on anyone in the AFC West. Instead of whistling past the graveyard in hopes Mahomes is a fluke, buck up and get ready to face the hard challenge that for the next 15 years, your Broncos will have to do it better than almost everyone else in the AFC, and that may still not be enough.
Now excuse me, I need to apply more sunscreen.
