Why does Mahomes lift his leg before taking a snap?

Patrick Mahomes may not be handed the MVP award in 2024 but he will not care a jot if he gets another ring on his finger after leading his Kansas City Chiefs to victory over the San Francisco 49ers on 11 February in Super Bowl LVIII. He’s already shown he is a generational player, and with so much focus on him during recent years - the Chiefs having reached four out of the last Super Bowls - it’s no wonder that questions are being asked about the reasons behind his leg lift just before the snap.

Reasons NFL quarterbacks lift their leg

So, the first thing to note here is the lifting of the leg in this situation is not something specific to our main man Mahomes. Most quarterbacks actually do this before the snap as they ready themselves for the chosen play.

I spoke to our local NFL expert for some of the reasons behind this.

Communication

You may have heard the word ‘cadence’ being used in NFL parlance. This is the signal to the center, who’s looking back through his own legs, about when to snap the ball. Lifting the leg can be a non-verbal signal to him and the rest of the offense, indicating that the quarterback is ready to start the play. This helps synchronize the movements of the entire team and ensures everyone is on the same page, and can be especially useful in a noisy stadium where the verbal calls could be somewhat drowned out.

Timing and rhythm

Quarterbacks often have a specific cadence or rhythm in which they call the signals and initiate the snap. Lifting the leg is a component of this rhythm, helping the offense anticipate when the ball will be snapped and leading to a more fluid execution of the play. The more the players have played together the more this rhythm flows.

Full screen

Graphic provided by our friends at Sofascore.

Drawing the defense offside

Sometimes, quarterbacks use the leg lift as a way to try and draw the opposing defense offside. Aligning this with the cadence, or using a hard count, the quarterback may induce the defensive players to jump across the line of scrimmage, resulting in a penalty.

Reads and audibles

The quarterback may also use the leg lift as part of his pre-snap reads and adjustments. It can signal to the rest of the offense that he is assessing the defense, making decisions about the play call, or potentially changing the play at the line of scrimmage.

If you’ve not already spotted this in live games before, keep a close eye on (assuming no injuries) both Mahomes and his counterpart Brock Purdy when they lock offensive horns in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII. Obviously we at AS USA will be bringing you the game live, building up to it from hours before. Can you tell we’re excited?