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Stephon Gilmore Picks Chiefs In Super Bowl, Praising Patrick Mahomes

BOSTON (CBS) -- The league's best defensive player has made his pick for Super Bowl LIV. And he's showing some respect to a great offensive player.

Speaking with reporters in Orlando for the Pro Bowl, Gilmore was asked to pick a winner between the Chiefs and 49ers, who will obviously kick off in Miami on Feb. 2. Gilmore couldn't pick against the quarterback who's put on a show against his team three times in the past two seasons.

"I think Kansas City wins," Gilmore said, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini. "I just feel like they have a lot of weapons. Mahomes is the -- he's tough to go against. I played against him a lot of times, and he's the toughest guy I've played against since I've been playing -- besides Tom [Brady]. But he's great.

Gilmore has seen firsthand how good Mahomes can be. Last year in a regular season shootout win for the Patriots, Mahomes threw for 352 yards with four tuochdowns, though he did throw two picks. In the 2018 AFC Championship Game, Mahomes shook off another slow first half to finish with 295 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a game the Patriots needed overtime to win.

This past season, Mahomes Mahomes posted some more modest numbers -- 283 yards, one touchdown, one interception -- but did so in a winning effort in Foxboro.

For the first time since arriving in New England in 2017, Gilmore won't be partaking in this year's Super Bowl. But when it comes to picking a winner, he's keeping it in the AFC.

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