Patrick Mahomes holds the key to all of Kansas City, but he’d rather stay in
To celebrate his 23rd birthday, Patrick Mahomes reviewed film and ate dinner in his Kansas City apartment.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Though he’s reached superstar status just two games into his first regular season as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, Mahomes prefers to maintain a low profile by sticking to his routine. Mahomes was a man about town over the summer, but now that he’s in season, he’s trading going out for takeout.
That’s why he skipped the fancy dinner and birthday blowout on Monday night.
“I didn’t want to go to dinner, but my girlfriend got me a cake,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “So I just ordered Rye to go on Postmates. That was like my birthday dinner. That’s what I wanted to do.”
As far as celebrities go, Mahomes is an A-lister in Kansas City. He was already popular before the season opened, but with back-to-back wins and two AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, his profile locally — and nationally — has skyrocketed.
In the third quarter NFLPA Panini Trading Card Index, Mahomes is ranked No. 3 in the NFL collectible industry, trailing Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
According to Panini, the asking price of a one-of-a-kind 2017 Donruss Optic Football card signed by Mahomes is up to $99,000.
As the son of a former major-leaguer, that attention hasn’t gotten to Mahomes. He’s used to being in and around the spotlight.
“He’s been in that locker room, you see the pictures with Alex Rodriguez and that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “So I don’t think any of that fazes him.”
Mahomes also credits his low-key and methodical approach to Alex Smith. As Smith’s mentee, Mahomes picked up the former Chiefs quarterback’s habits and his approach to the game. It’s what’s kept Mahomes sane throughout the chaos around him.
“When you’re in this league, you have to do something every single day,” Mahomes said. “You have off days, but those off days are usually watching film. So I mean, there’s not really enough time to go out and do stuff and really be out too late. I try to just focus in on being in the same routine every single day. … And that does benefit me, of course, not wanting to do anything extra. But at the same time, it’s football season, so it’s all football now.”
Prior to the season, Mahomes seen all over Kansas City. He was spotted at Royals and Sporting KC games and at the Kansas Speedway. One night, he was seen attending a Jason Aldean concert at the Sprint Center.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins knows a thing or two about the spotlight his days in Buffalo. For Watkins, that extra attention was a good way to keep himself in check.
“The best thing is, it’s going to make you be your best self,” Watkins said. “You can’t go out and do other things that people in the world is doing. So definitely under a microscope. I feel like for me, that was a blessing. You can get outside yourself and not be humble and try to do things and get away, but yet you have the world watching, which is somewhat is good because it keeps you level-headed and keeps you grounded.”
Even though Mahomes was recognized by fans over the summer, he still maintained some semblance of a normal life. One fan snapped a photo him at the Royals’ opening game, sitting by himself in the stands. In major markets, there might be a crowd around him, begging for autographs for selfies. But not in Kansas City.
“I think Kansas City is a pretty good town to be a professional athlete in,” center Mitch Morse said. “The town takes care of their athletes.”
In-season, Mahomes prefers to stay a little closer to home.
“After I’m done with the day here, I don’t like leaving the house,” he said. “So I usually just try to order something to go.”
Kansas City, Chiefs’ players agreed, is pretty respectful of its big-time athletes. But if Mahomes did venture out now, would he face what Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer saw when he was swarmed at Justin Bieber concert in 2016 after winning the World Series a couple months before?
“I’m sure here in the next coming weeks or months, he’ll have some stories for you,” Morse said. “I can only imagine it’s going to be pretty interesting to be Patrick Mahomes around town.”
Brooke Pryor
Brooke Pryor covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.
This story was originally published September 19, 2018 at 6:05 PM.