Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has embraced his role as a villain heading into Super Bowl LVIII in hopes of transforming his team into a dynasty with a third title in five years.
Mahomes says he has come to accept the role of being the NFL’s big bad wolf and the one everyone wants to see lose.
“I’ve definitely gotten there since this year,” Mahomes told CBS Sports. ‘I think this is the year it all turned out that way.
‘That’s part of it. You become that villain. You become that team that not everyone wants to win. You have to accept that too to be great.
‘And I think you’ve seen the greats do that in all sports, whenever they start building dynasties and things like that. And we want to do that, and we want to seal it with a Super Bowl victory.
Patrick Mahomes fully assumes villain role ahead of fourth Super Bowl berth
CBS’ Nate Burleson noted that Mahomes was smiling during the interview and suggested that the quarterback seemed to enjoy playing that villain role.
“Yeah, man,” he replied. And I don’t think I really understood it until this year. When you get to the playoffs and you’re on the road and, you know, it’s just you and your teammates versus everyone, it’s a different perspective.’
The conversation turned to the topic of being a living legend, something Mahomes briefly rejected. “Man, honestly, it’s something he always wanted to be, someone who could maximize and be a great athlete and take advantage of every opportunity.” The living legend is something I will let other people talk about.”
Burleson chimed in and said he knew Mahomes is “a humble guy,” but told him, “You know you’re one of the greats.” You don’t have to say it. I will tell. Everyone says so.
Mahomes continued: ‘I think there are two things. One, like I said before, I never want to regret it. I think that’s my biggest fear anywhere in the world: not maximizing the opportunities I’ve had in my life.
And I know that I have been blessed with many different things. And being on the Kansas City Chiefs, (my) time on the Kansas City Chiefs is one of them.
And the second thing is that I have seen greatness in front of me. I’ve seen Tom (Brady), I’ve seen Peyton (Manning), and I watched him grow up, and I want to do everything I can to be that inspiration for the generation behind me. And I think that’s a different way.
“But at the same time, I want guys to come up and say, ‘Hey, I want to be like that guy and the way he carries himself on and off the field, too.'”
Mahomes: ‘I want to do everything I can, (to) be that inspiration for the generation behind me’
Patrick Mahomes will look to seal the Chiefs as a dynasty with a third title in five years.
In a light-hearted moment, Mahomes also addressed a viral moment in the locker room where people made fun of him for his ‘dad bod’ physique.
“I got a bad angle, man,” Mahomes laughed. ‘What I’m saying is that I hope we win this game. Maybe I’ll take off my shirt right there, in the middle of the field.
‘I need the ascending angle. You know what I am. Where they go down. Look at the chest a little.
‘I know it was a bad movie, but I’m going to show it to everyone, man. I’ve got something going on: I still have a dad vibe, but not as bad as that photo looked.