The story of Patrick Mahomes’ 2021 is two-part: continued success on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs’ SuperBowl run versus unwanted attention off it thanks to the antics of his brother.
After losing out to Tom Brady-inspired Tampa Bay Buccaneers in last season’s showpiece SuperBowl LV, ending the hopes of back-to-back crowns at the final hurdle, Chiefs are hoping to make it two out of three appearances and Mahomes is leading the charge. But he could do without the distraction of his Tik-Tok famous younger brother Jackson, whose controversial actions threaten to sidetrack his focus.
Chiefs Turn Their Season Around
Chiefs opened the 2021 campaign with a 3-4 record and appeared to be spiraling, with many fans and pundits holding temporary reservations about the back-to-back conference champions. But the same core team has recorded a recent run of eight wins in a row through November and December to finish the calendar year top of the AFC standings and clinching their play-off berth.
Whilst the ultra-competitive NFC sees a few teams jockeying for position at the top, that extended winning streak has turned the Chiefs from a losing record through Week 7 with one of the worst defences in the league to now flying into a play-off run at a crucial time of the campaign.
Andy Reid’s group are demonstrating why they made it to two SuperBowls in the last two years with their resilience to battle back from adversity. And with no team really standing out above any other in the conference this season it’s difficult to look past them going to a third in a row.
That’s no small part to Mahomes – the number one best player in football currently.
Mahomes’ Rise to the Top
The NFL revealed in the summer that he had reached the pinnacle of the Top 100 after consecutive No. 4 rankings, adding another accolade to a young resume that has seemingly accomplished everything already – coming such a long way since his 2017 breakout.
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That year he was selected 10th overall by the Chiefs in the Draft and spent his rookie season as the backup to Alex Smith. He was named the starter in 2018 after the Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins and that change paid off when Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
He became the only quarterback in history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season in both college and in the NFL, and joined Peyton Manning in NFL history by throwing 50 touchdown passes and 5,000 yards in a single season.
Selected to the Pro Bowl, named First Team All-Pro and winning both the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player awards – it was a season to remember for Mahomes. But he was to go even better for his team in the following season’s playoffs. In Super Bowl LIV, their first appearance in 50 years, Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers with Mahomes becoming only the second African-American quarterback and youngest ever SuperBowl MVP for his performance. He was rewarded for a superb season by signing a huge 10-year contract extension worth $477 million with another $26 million in potential bonuses – the second-largest known contract in sporting history behind then-Barcelona’s soccer star Lionel Messi now of Paris Saint-Germain.
In 2020, Mahomes threw for 4,740 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in 15 games (14-1) to lead the Chiefs to their third straight AFC West title and grinded through an injury-laden playoff run to their second SuperBowl appearance in as many seasons. Jackson’s antics a worrying distraction
Patrick’s rise has also shone a spotlight on his younger brother. Whilst the NFL superstar keeps a low profile away from the field, brother Jackson is enjoying the social media life notably through his TikTok account – but not in a good way. Dubbed “America’s least favourite famous-adjacent sibling” by some, the latest controversy surrounds a review he posted onto his account for a local Kansas City restaurant called SoT. Mahomes has since taken down his post, but he reportedly posted a long rant about how the cocktail bar couldn’t accommodate his large party.
SoT then responded in a personal rant of their own which called out Mahomes’ character and also his previous actions this season. They include pouring a bottle of water on a Ravens fan and doing a TikTok dance on the sideline memorial of the deceased Sean Taylor.
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That latter incident wasn’t completely his fault – the WFT reportedly told him and his group to stand in that particular place and he later offered an apology explaining what had happened.
Mahomes’ GOAT Potential?
Patrick Mahomes has been called on to essentially disown his little brother, and he has been spotted in the background of some of the videos looking as if he would rather not be there. His own Twitter followers offered their support to him over one such recent clip which went viral.
But he has preferred to focus on his game and do his talking on the field – and it’s paying off.
He is winning at a historic pace in his three seasons as a starter with a 38-8 regular-season record and 6-2 playoff record. Although he didn’t match the numbers of his MVP season two years prior, Mahomes was noticeably improved in the Quarterback position last season, improving on his throwing accuracy and his ability to make plays on the run.
We’re excited to see what Patrick Mahomes will bring to the table in the 2022 Pro Bowl. Here are some good options where you can find good predictions and place bets online on the Super Bowl. He was always going to be one of the first QB picks for the AFC roster in the All-Star game preceding the Super Bowl ,and is one of six Chiefs to make the cut.
Everything Mahomes does on the football field seems to have an exciting appeal and is spurring the Chiefs on to look a good bet to avenge their defeat last season. And at just 25-years-old, he’s being recognized as the NFL’s best player currently, with plenty of time to get even better. Who knows where in the history books he can go?