When it was all over, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sprinted across the field to pay it forward. He weaved his way past the celebrating embraces of backup quarterback Chad Henne and linebacker Frank Clark, dropping his helmet at the 35-yard line and curving his trajectory to a person who had earned a shared private moment in the most public of places.
Normally, this singular path in the euphoric chaos of victory delivers a player to an embrace with family or a cherished coach. For Mahomes, it took him to another player — his mirror, in many ways.