NFL Rumors: Bruce Arians Wanted to Draft Patrick Mahomes to Cardinals in 2017

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has found himself working with a legendary quarterback this season in former New England Patriot Tom Brady. But Arians said this week that he nearly could have had a different star under center. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, when Arians coached the Arizona Cardinals in 2017, he was hoping to select Patrick Mahomes with the No. 13 pick and tried to trade up to better their chances. 

The Kansas City Chiefs grabbed Mahomes three spots earlier at No. 10.

Arians was part of a group that traveled to Texas Tech for a workout with Mahomes, alongside team president Michael Bidwell.

"He probably had the best workout of any kid I went and worked out personally—he and Andrew Luck were the two by far on the board," Arians said, per Schefter. "Unbelievable ability."

The Cardinals drafted linebacker Haason Reddick instead, and Arians retired from coaching after missing the playoffs for the second straight year. After sitting out the 2018 season, he was hired to lead Tampa Bay in 2019. 

Though the Cardinals weren't able to draft Mahomes, they eventually picked up another souvenir from that trip to Texas. Kliff Kingsbury was the head coach of the Red Raiders at the time and took the struggling Cardinals' head coaching job two years later.

Arians ended up with Brady after one season with Jameis Winston at the helm in Tampa Bay, while Kingsbury also managed to find the Cardinals their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray, whom they drafted No. 1 overall in 2019.