It’s a Friday night in East Texas. Patrick Mahomes just achieved a feat by scoring five touchdowns during a high school football match. Later, he showcased his pitching skills by effortlessly throwing a 93 mph fastball on the pitcher’s mound with remarkable ease and composure. Looking back in time reveals a young Tom Brady in San Mateo confidently calling pitches from behind the plate, displaying the poise and expertise of a seasoned 10-year veteran. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Kyler Murray is spraying line drives into the gaps right before taking college football by storm and winning the Heisman Trophy.
Sounds like a sports movie, right? But these aren’t scripted scenes or “what if” fantasies. They’re the real, often-overlooked origin stories of three future NFL MVPs who were once seriously scouted and drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
Before they lit up NFL stadiums and became household names, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Kyler Murray faced a choice that could have changed everything: MLB or NFL? These weren’t novelty picks or publicity stunts. Each of them was seen as a legitimate baseball talent. Big-league franchises didn’t just take a flyer on potential; they saw star power. Yet each athlete ultimately turned away from the diamond, drawn instead to the roar of the crowd on Sundays.
And in doing so, they didn’t just carve out legendary football careers, they left behind some fascinating baseball “what ifs.”
Patrick Mahomes, MLB draft pick: A momentous connection with the Tigers
Mahomes didn’t just watch baseball growing up; he was raised in it. His father, Pat Mahomes Sr., spent over a decade in the majors, and young Patrick was a fixture in big-league clubhouses. He wasn’t just tagging along; he was absorbing the game, watching the grind up close, and developing that rocket arm in the shadows of the pros.
By the time he reached high school in Whitehouse, Texas, Mahomes had already built a reputation as a two-sport sensation. He wasn’t just throwing touchdowns, he was throwing gas. And scouts took notice of the heat he brought on the mound, even as his football legend grew. Despite stepping away from baseball during his senior year to focus on the gridiron, the Detroit Tigers still drafted him in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
That pick wasn’t a shot in the dark. It was a calculated swing at a rare, generational talent. Mahomes had the bloodline, the arm, the moxie, and if he’d pursued it, he might’ve been the next two-way phenom in baseball. But he chose football. The Tigers never even got the chance to bring him in. But Mahomes was already falling for football. He took his cannon arm to Texas Tech and rewrote the school’s record books.
Even now, you can still see the baseball in his game. The sidearm throws, the crazy arm angles, the off-balance darts on the run, it’s all part of a quarterback who grew up thinking like a pitcher. And while Detroit fans can only wonder what could’ve been, Kansas City fans are more than happy with how things turned out.
Watch one Mahomes highlight reel, the sidearm throws, the footwork, the field awareness, and it’s clear: His NFL magic was born on a baseball diamond.
Tom Brady, MLB draft pick: A potential catcher who chose a different path
You know him as the greatest quarterback of all time, but back in 1995, Tom Brady was being hailed as a can’t-miss MLB catcher. At Junípero Serra High in California, Brady had all the tools, pop time, arm strength, game-calling, and a calm, calculated presence behind the plate.
The Montreal Expos took him in the 18th round, fully believing they’d found their backstop of the future. One scout even told USA Today he could’ve been “one of the greatest catchers ever.” They offered him a strong signing bonus and a fast track to the majors. But Brady had a different plan. He was off to the University of Michigan, betting on himself to make it in football, despite starting as a backup.
And that decision changed sports history. While the Expos eventually folded, Brady became a six-round NFL steal who went on to win seven Super Bowls. But just imagine if he had followed through with baseball, would he have been catching World Series fastballs instead of Super Bowl snaps?
Kyler Murray, MLB draft pick: When the A’s risked signing two-sport star
Unlike Brady and Mahomes, Kyler Murray wasn’t a late-round flyer; he was a front-line investment. In 2018, the Oakland Athletics made him the ninth overall pick. It was banked on his freakish speed, quick bat, and center field instincts. Murray had just finished a season at Oklahoma, hitting .296 with 10 home runs and 10 steals in 51 games.
The A’s were fully in. They gave him a $4.66 million bonus and planned his future after just one final football season. But that fall, Murray erupted onto the national football scene, throwing for 42 touchdowns, rushing for 12 more, and capturing the Heisman Trophy. The NFL came calling, and suddenly, the outfield was no longer part of the picture.
Oakland’s front office tried everything, sweetening the deal, inviting him to spring training, and making personal appeals. But Murray declared for the NFL Draft. He went No. 1 overall in 2019, becoming the first player ever selected in the first round of both the MLB and NFL drafts.
While the A’s lost their investment, Murray’s decision ushered in a new era of Cardinals football, and a reminder that even the best-laid baseball plans can be overrun by gridiron greatness.
Conclusion: A game of ‘what-ifs’ that changed two leagues
Baseball had its shot and missed. Not because Brady, Mahomes, or Murray weren’t good enough, but because their football potential ultimately burned brighter. Each had the skills to thrive in MLB, and the teams that drafted them weren’t just guessing. They genuinely believed they were investing in future All-Stars.
What makes this twist so compelling isn’t just the athleticism, it’s the choice. The moment when each of these stars stood at a fork in the road and picked football. The Tigers never saw Mahomes toe the rubber. The Expos watched Brady choose Ann Arbor over the minors. And the A’s? They watched Murray take their millions and literally run to the NFL Draft.
It’s easy to play the “what if” game. What if Brady became the face of the Expos instead of the Patriots? What if Mahomes was throwing sliders instead of no-look passes? And what if Murray turned into the next Rickey Henderson? We’ll never know… But the mere possibility makes their stories even more extraordinary.
They didn’t just dominate football; they turned down baseball to do so. And somewhere, buried in the stats and trophies, is the quiet truth that they could’ve made it in both.
The post Before NFL Glory, They Were MLB Draft Picks: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Kyler Murray’s Forgotten Twist appeared first on EssentiallySports.