Kansas City Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes sat down with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington in an exclusive interview ahead of Super Bowl 58 to discuss the possibility of beginning to evolve into a “villain” to other fan bases across the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes’ Response To Being Considered a Villain
Darlington took Mahomes back to the end of Kansas City’s victory against Buffalo in the Divisional Round, where Mahomes while walking over to a little boy who was sitting in the front row was being pelted by snowballs coming from Buffalo fans in different sections.
Before the Divisional Round, the talk around the football world was whether Mahomes, in his first career playoff road start, could carry his team in a very hostile environment.
Darlington, a sideline reporter during the game, went on to ask Mahomes if that was the moment where it felt as if he was deemed as a “villain” because of the consistent winning, home or away.
Mahomes delivered a great response, comparing his current Chiefs team to the New England Patriots era guided by the remarkable Tom Brady.
“I can definitely sense it. I never felt like that because I’ve never been like that in my entire life. But it’s become a little bit funny. I don’t want to say you enjoy it. I know the Patriots had that for a while. I’m hoping we do it in a different way with a little bit more fun and personality with it. But as long as you keep winning, teams start to not like you, and I want to keep winning.
“So if that means some of the other teams and other fan bases aren’t going to like me, I’ll try to still have a smile on my face and not be a bad example, but I can be that villain for them if they need me to be.”
It is very fitting that Mahomes featured Brady in his quote.
Brady, in the 2018 AFC Championship Game, knocked off a young Mahomes in overtime at Arrowhead Stadium in what many assumed would be the Chiefs representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Since that loss on a cold January night, Mahomes has taken the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game or further in five consecutive seasons.
A Look at Mahomes’ Impressive NFL Résumé So Far
Drafted 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes did not receive much attention during his three-year collegiate career at Texas Tech, and he certainly wasn’t bringing any championships to Lubbock, Texas.
His transition over to the NFL, however, has certainly been one to appreciate.
MORE: Patrick Mahomes Is This Generation’s QB1
Still yet to reach 30 years old, Mahomes is already a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP winner, two-time NFL MVP winner, and a six-time member of the Pro Bowl.
The list goes on and on.
When Kansas City takes the field this upcoming Sunday night for its first offensive series, Mahomes (28) will officially become the youngest quarterback in history to start a fourth Super Bowl.
As insane as it sounds, Mahomes began his professional career as a backup to Alex Smith before making his first start in a Week 17 contest against the Denver Broncos.
After shipping Smith to Washington the following season, Mahomes took over as the full-time starting quarterback.
Now nearing the end of his seventh season, all with the Chiefs, Mahomes is looking to become the first QB since Brady in 2004-05 to win the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons.
Mahomes will go toe-to-toe against Brock Purdy, the final choice of the 2022 NFL Draft. With a win, he would join Brady and Hall-of-Famer Troy Aikman as the only quarterbacks in the sport to win three Super Bowls before their 30th birthdays.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
