Why Patrick Mahomes' Unusual Walk Has People Talking
Patrick Mahomes has gotten tremendous attention in his four years in the NFL. The 25-year-old Kansas City Chiefs quarterback will make his second Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LV, where he'll face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (per ESPN). In his first appearance, in 2020, the Chiefs took home the win in Super Bowl LIV — the franchise's first title in 50 years.
Facing the Chiefs last year were the San Francisco 49ers. Their then-head coach, Robert Saleh, offered a word of advice for the Bucs for the big game. "He's got tremendous mobility. But any time you're a pass rusher just understand that he might do his little old man jog in between plays where it looks like his feet hurt. Don't kid yourself," he told NBC Sports. "[H]is arm strength is ridiculous. You have to be relentless all the way through. And understand that there could be a play and a second play that happens just because of his ability to extend plays and make the throws that other people can't."
A YouTuber shared his theory on that 'little old man jog'
Patrick Mahomes didn't mind the comments about his "little old man jog." Saleh isn't the only person to have noticed it after all. A YouTuber by the name of Magnus, who vlogs about health and science related to current sports events and athletes from the perspective of a podiatric medical student, shared a theory about Mahomes' walk.
Magnus believes that Mahomes is dealing with genu valgum. "Genu valgum, known as knock-knees, is a knee misalignment that turns your knees inward. When people with knock-knees stand up with their knees together, there's a gap of 3 inches or more between their ankles. This is because their knees are bent so far inward," Healthline explains.
The YouTuber also noted that Mahomes' condition, which may possibly be aggravated by having a limb length discrepancy, make him susceptible to injuries like the lateral knee dislocation the athlete faced last year. There's no knowing for certain if this is what's happening with Mahomes, but many Chiefs fans hope nothing happens this Sunday to aggravate any injuries that have plagued the star QB in the past.