RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesNot long ago, the closest Cyrus Allen got to Patrick Mahomes was playing with him in Madden. Now Allen is catching passes from Mahomes at Chiefs training camp.
Allen, a fifth-round rookie wide receiver, said it's been a thrill to get the opportunity to share a practice field with Mahomes and not just see him on the screen.
"It's still a surreal moment for me because I used to play the game with Pat a lot," Allen said. "On the game, that was my favorite team."
Allen said his top priority is making sure that he's timing his routes so that he's exactly where Mahomes wants him to be at exactly the right time.
"Everything is pretty much timing," Allen said. "This ain't college no more. This is big boy ball. So everything is pretty much timing and I'm on his time, and everything is very precise in this league."
Allen said he wants to learn every position on the offense so that Mahomes and the coaches will feel comfortable putting him anywhere that help is needed.
"Just learning every spot. I'm a guy that tries to learn the whole playbook, even the protections and everything," Allen said. "That's how I think so I can be available if my number is called."
And Allen said that no matter how many snaps he gets on offense, he hopes to be doing everything he can on special teams, including returning punts and kickoffs and covering on punts and kickoffs.
"I want to play special teams, regardless. All four phases," Allen said. "Whatever I need to do to help the team. Playing long snapper? Whatever I need to do to help the team I'm prepared to do."
That's the kind of attitude that earns playing time for rookies.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.