The Facts: While the trade sending Alex Smith to Washington has been agreed upon, it cannot be finalized until the start of the new league year on March 14. So Mahomes was understandably careful when discussing his current situation with The Star on Thursday. Still, as the Chiefs' No. 2 QB this season, Mahomes worked hand-in-hand with the veteran Smith on the team's weekly game plans. He was able to see, first-hand, what it takes to effectively prepare as a starter. "I just feel like I've been doing that all year long," Mahomes said. "I'm going to carry it over into the offseason, into training camp, and whatever opportunity happens."

Diehards Line:One of the reasons Smith, a 13-year pro, took to Mahomes was Mahomes’ humility. Although the Chiefs surrendered a pair of first-round picks and a third-rounder to trade up and acquire him him as their QB of the not-too-distant future, Mahomes never stirred controversy with his words or actions. “He’s a good kid, he’s a hard worker, all that — it was great for him to be in that room with Alex and to learn,” HC Andy Reid explained. “Now, you can take that two ways. A kid can come in and they can (say), ‘Ah, I’ve got it all down.’ Or they can be a grinder, and get in like a sponge, man, and just take everything in. And that’s the approach it took.” With Mahomes proving to be a willing student, he soon had a big supporter in Smith. Reid said Smith even shared a measure of satisfaction in Mahomes’ first career start: an impressive 22-of-35 performance for 284 yards in a 27-24 win over Denver in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale. Now Mahomes will spend the entire offseason working to build on that.