Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is ready to be the bad guy. It’s become sort of a rite of passage in sports that some of the greatest athletes and teams — at the height of their powers — become despised by those outside their fan base.
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots garnered that reputation at a certain point. LeBron James with the Miami Heat embraced that villain role as well. So did the New York Yankees at various points in the franchise’s storied history.
Immense success doesn’t come without mixed emotions of envy, resentment, and spiteful admiration for those on the outside looking in.
Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are prepared for that smoke ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. With a win over the San Francisco 49ers, Mahomes will have won three of the last five Super Bowls and will become the first back-to-back winner in decades.
Patrick Mahomes Completely On Board With Kansas City Chiefs As Villains
Mahomes recently spoke to CBS Sports’ Nate Burleson ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. Among the topics discussed was the resentment that naturally builds toward “dominant” teams. The big bad championship favorite becomes a mighty Goliath that every else wants to topple.
Mahomes told Burleson that he’s felt like the Chiefs have become “villains” this season more than in year’s past.
“You’ve definitely have gotten that since this year. I think this is the year that actually has kind of came out that way,” said Mahomes to Burleson.
“That’s part of it. You turn into that villain. You turn into that team that everybody doesn’t want to win. You have to embrace that too in order to be great. I think you’ve seen the greats do that in every sport. Whenever they start building dynasties and stuff like that. We want to do that. We want to stamp it out with a Super Bowl win.”
Burleson asked if Mahomes relished the newfound villain role. The Chiefs star answered in the affirmative and talked of the exhilaration of playing on the road in a postseason game.
“I do, man. I don’t think I really understood it til this year. When you get in the playoffs and you’re on the road and you know it’s just you and your teammates versus everybody, it’s a different perspective,” Mahomes added.
Patrick Mahomes Has Thrived While Playing Spoiler So Far. Will He Do The Same Against The 49ers?
Mahomes had yet to play on the road in the playoffs up until this season since the Chiefs are usually a top-seeded team. But instead of faltering outside the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City silenced the hometown crowds of both the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. What was previously a knock against Mahomes turned into an achievement — and more villain points in the process.
The Chiefs are not considered favorites against an equally formidable 49ers squad on Sunday. But Mahomes could still play spoiler against Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy, and a San Francisco squad that appears deserving of the Super Bowl after a phenomenal season. A true villain wouldn’t let such a storybook ending come to fruition.
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