As everyone knows by now, the Kansas City Chiefs followed up their Super Bowl championship season well. Led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, KC managed to make the playoffs with a 14-2 record (not as easy as it looked; most of their wins were decided by 6 points or less) and returned to the Super Bowl. Bowl as expected. But what few expected was to see 43-year-old Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the Chiefs to the woodshed. But there’s little reason to think Mahomes won’t be back in the Super Bowl, which is what he told reporters at his year-end press conference. He is young and has yet to reach his athletic peak. He may not be champion this year, but that’s not going to stop him from paying tribute. Here are 10 facts about the talented QB.
1. He’s the son of a former major league pitcher
His father, Patrick Mahomes Sr., played nine seasons and two seasons in Japan for six major league teams. His best season with the Mets came in 1998, when he went 8-0 in relief, helping them reach the NLCS before losing to Atlanta. The younger Mahomes uses his full name, Patrick, to distinguish himself from his father, who goes by Pat.
2. He’s a gifted pitcher himself
As a senior at White House High School in Texas, Patrick once threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts. He was eventually named the MaxPrep Male Athlete of the Year in 2013-14 and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round. However, he decided to take his talents to Lubbock as a Texas Tech Red Raider. He was a relief pitcher his freshman year and appeared in three games as a sophomore before fully devoting himself to football.
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3. He already has tons of records
He’s also the fastest to pass 10,000 career yards, the fastest to 100 career TDs, has the highest career QB rating, and 307.6 yards per game. His 8 consecutive games with 300 yards passing is tied for the NFL record. He is also the youngest QB to throw 6 TDs in a game. Going back to his college days, he tied the record for single-game passing yards (734) and broke the record for total yards (819) in 2016 against Oklahoma. Incredibly, the Red Raiders still lost that game.
4. In terms of player merchandise sales, Mahomes is the most popular player in the NFL
While Brady got the last laugh on Super Bowl LV, Mahomes beat him in one important category: officially licensed products. We’re talking jerseys, fatheads, bobbleheads, and more. Firing Brady was no small feat; The senior quarterback was the top-selling quarterback for 18 consecutive seasons until 2002.
5. He signed the second richest contract in sports history
In 2020, Mahomes agreed to a 12-year contract extension with the Chiefs worth $477 million, plus $26 million in potential incentives. Who won the top spot? Football legend Lionel Messi has signed a 4-year (!!!) contract with FC Barcelona worth $670,000,000.
6. As a child he once dressed up as Alex Rodriguez for Halloween
In 2001, when Patrick was 7 years old, his dad joined the New York Yankees and was teammates with Alex Rodriguez. The younger Mahones immediately idolized Rodriguez, even wearing his jersey and accessories (batting gloves, sunglasses) for Halloween that year. Only the syringe that Rodriguez used to hit 696 home runs was missing.
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7. He suffered a nasty robbery before his freshman season
After attending a baseball game in the summer of 2017, Mahomes dropped off his girlfriend at his house. Michael Pinkerton took advantage of Mahomes’ wallet, but was arrested shortly after with an accomplice. Even if no gun is ultimately found, the mere threat is enough to get charged with a gun-related crime. Pinkerton, who said he did not know he had chosen Mahomes as his victim, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
8. Dude really loves shoes
When Mahomes bought his dream home, there was a room designed for the sole purpose of housing his extensive shoe collection. They’re all 180. His favorite is a pair of Yeezy Triple Black 750s that cost over $1,000.
9. Dude really likes ketchup
Mahomes has said on multiple occasions that he likes ketchup when ordering eggs, mac & cheese, steaks and the famous Kansas City BBQ. After he signed his big deal, there were articles joking about how much ketchup he could afford now. But come on, when you’re as marketable as he is, you don’t pay for ketchup, ketchup pays. you. Hunt offered Mahomes an endorsement deal in 2018, which he gladly accepted.
10. His brother Jackson is a rising TikTok star
Being the son of a professional athlete is tough enough, but having a world-famous sibling can really make life tougher. Few people know this better than Patrick’s younger brother, Jackson. Although he was a decent basketball player in high school, Jackson had to be teased on the road, “You’re not Patrick.” Handles well though. In fact, he is carving out a solid career as a TikTok influencer with nearly 1 million followers and 35 million likes. He recently mentioned how much better it is to be recognized as Jackson from TikTok rather than Patrick’s brother.
