Kansas City Chiefs Reid not worried about quarterback Mahomes' INTs

Mahomes threw three picks in Wednesday's practice, and on Thursday brought his total to eight through seven days of camp.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid isn't concerned about quarterback Patrick Mahomes' spate of interceptions in practice, despite another one Thursday from the first-year starter.

Mahomes threw three picks in Wednesday's practice, and on Thursday brought his total to eight through seven days of camp.

"I told you at the beginning of camp I don't care about all that stuff,'' Reid told reporters after Thursday's practice. "I want him to test the offence... If you don't have the intestinal fortitude to go test if you're going to be one of those quarterbacks who checks it down every time. That's not what it's all about.

"The great thing about Pat is that he never makes the same mistake twice. It doesn't happen. ... When he does make a mistake, he comes back and he can talk to you about it. He's done nothing but gets better and better as we go, and he's got a load on him here.''

Mahomes, for whom the Chiefs traded up 17 spots to take 10th overall in 2017, is entering his first year as a starter after careful-but-steady veteran Alex Smith was traded in February.

One of his interceptions on Wednesday came when he forced the ball into the end zone rather than running for a TD through an open lane. Another came after he called the wrong play in the huddle.

"I have to eliminate those mistakes," Mahomes told reporters Wednesday. "It's something that can be described as a learning process. Hopefully, I make those mistakes now and don't make them in the game."

"That's a part of the process," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy added. "When you're young you need those hiccups because they become valuable lessons. ... Would we like for him to be perfect? Yes. We'd like for him to have the highest quarterback rating ever. ... He just needs to be poised under pressure."

Mahomes, 22, played in just one game as a rookie, a Week 17 start when the Chiefs sat their starters against the Denver Broncos. He went 22-for-35 for 284 yards and an interception but led a drive in the closing seconds for a game-winning field goal.

He threw 29 interceptions in 32 college games at Texas Tech, including 25 in 25 games over his final two seasons.

Smith, who was dealt with the Washington Redskins in February, threw five picks and led the NFL in interception percentage (1.0) last season for the second time in his career. He hasn't thrown more than eight interceptions in a season since 2010.

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