Patrick Mahomes knows he has a target on his back.
The consensus best player in football won a second straight Super Bowl title last season and is gearing up for an unprecedented three-peat in 2024/2025.
His Kansas City Chiefs team are firmly in dynasty status, much like the New England Patriots were with NFL GOAT Tom Brady running their offense.
The league despised Brady and the Pats for their continued success and Mahomes and the Chiefs are facing similar hate.
The superstar quarterback appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday to discuss ’embracing the heel role’ – a reference to WWE bad guys – and whether he expects haters for the rest of his career.
“Yeah I’m probably going to get it for at least the rest of my career,” he told McAfee.
“Brady did come back at the end and got back on the good graces of everybody, so maybe I can make that turn at the very end of my career.”
The reigning Super Bowl MVP admitted that he felt the disdain during last season’s playoff run when the Chiefs visited hostiles crowds in Buffalo and Baltimore.
“We definitely weren’t liked. The playoff run really stamped that for me,” Mahomes said.
“You could tell the teams and the fans did not like us. [But] they can’t say much when you’re winning the games so I just embrace that.”
The 28-year-old has felt the contempt for some time and discussed the concept of him and his team becoming villains with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington earlier this year.
“I can definitely sense it,” Mahomes explained. “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 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.”
Mahomes may be willing to play the ‘bad guy’ next season, but away from the field he’s more matchmaker than anything.
During his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he joked he deserves to ‘take some of the credit’ for teammate Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift being an item because he invited Kelce to his first Swift concert.
“I was the one who invited Travis to the first Taylor concert when the friendship bracelet [idea came up]. He was sitting in my suite, so I feel like I was the matchmaker.
“I had some input in there as well. I was like, ‘Dude, you should go for it. Just go for it.’ And you know Travis, man. He does it. He’s a great dude,” continued Mahomes. “I’m glad that it’s all worked out for the best.”
McAfee complimented Mahomes by telling him that he and his team have handled the furore around the highly-publicized relationship incredibly well.
“I heard Travis was in Lake Como this week. My algorithm also tells me everything Travis is doing with his life. And then my wife will tell me everything Taylor is doing,” said McAfee.
“So I feel like I’m a part of their relationship. I couldn’t even imagine being on that side of it all. You guys are handling it great, you need to know that,” he added.
Mahomes responded, “I appreciate it. I appreciate it, man. We enjoy it. It’s been a fun run.”
