NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints coach Sean Payton seriously considered drafting Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
But the Saints were slated to pick 11th overall and Kansas City traded up to snag Mahomes at pick No. 10.
Record-setting quarterback Drew Brees was 38 years old then, but had no intention of retiring. And as it turned out, the Saints wound up with one of the greatest drafts in franchise history that year anyway.
It began with the 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who’ll get his first chance to see how he fares against Mahomes and Co. on Sunday when the Saints (10-3) host the defending NFL champion Chiefs (12-1) in a potential Super Bowl preview.
“Everything worked out for the best,” Lattimore said. “He’s over there doing his thing. I’m over here doing my thing. So, everybody won.
“And yeah, I’m excited to play him because he’s one of the great up-and-coming quarterbacks,” Lattimore continued. “So you know our game is going to be way up, and you know we’re going to be ready for him.”
With help from playmakers such as receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, Mahomes leads the NFL in yards passing with 4,208 and has his team in pole position to defend its Super Bowl title.
“To be that young and to be as talented as he is is rare,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes. “For him to have excelled the way he has is a real tribute to the kid and the genes that his parents gave him, too, is part of it — and how hard he works.”
The Chiefs have the best record in the AFC. But ensuring that it stays that way another week requires a victory against a contending Saints squad looking to bounce back from a stunning loss in Philadelphia. The Saints can win the NFC South for a fourth straight season with a victory (or a Tampa Bay loss).
“It’s going to be a great battle,” Lattimore said. “I feel like we’re stacked, just like they’re stacked. So, we’re going to go out there and play and the best man wins.”
QUARTERBACK OPTIONS
The Saints added intrigue to their quarterback situation this week by designating Brees eligible to return from injured reserve. Brees has missed four games since a sack against San Francisco left him with multiple rib fractures and a punctured lung.
Taysom Hill has started in Brees’ place, going 3-1.
The Chiefs have been forced to prepare for both QBs.
“No question they’re different,” said Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who in 2012 held the same position in New Orleans. “You’re talking about a future Hall of Famer (in Brees) and a guy (in Hill) that’s playing really good football that gives us the added threat of running the ball.
“We need to defend the scheme,” Spagnuolo continued. “They do really well with whoever they put back there. There’s a lot of other weapons there besides the guy that gets the ball on the snap.”
PAT IN BLACK
Payton has said Mahomes and Lattimore were the two prospects left under consideration for New Orleans at No. 11 in the 2017 draft when the Chiefs traded up and made the decision easy.
