The Kansas City Chiefs are set to appear in their third Super Bowl in the past four years. During their recent run of success, the leader has been All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has his sights on another victory and some redemption from his Super Bowl loss two years ago.
Mahomes is entering next weekend’s Super Bowl in Arizona with experience in the big game. The festivities and pageantry of football’s biggest game have affected quarterbacks for decades, but Mahomes is more focused than ever. He reflected on the lessons learned since his first Super Bowl appearance during Thursday’s press conference.
“Yeah, no, it’ll be awesome, man,” said Mahomes. “You get there the first time, and you don’t know what to expect, and you’re kind of going through a whirlwind of media days, and you have practice, but it’s not the normal schedule you usually have and meetings and trying to find time to watch film and everything like that whereas now you have a plan. Chad (Henne) was with me last time, so I have a plan with him already.
“We’re going to be able to go out there and do what we usually do throughout a week with the added stuff that we have to do. It’s nice to have that experience before. I can teach other guys and help them along as well because even though it’s the same team, we have a lot of new players, and so I’m excited to get these guys down there to get that experience, and at the end of the day you want to win the game, so I just want to make sure those guys keep that in mind.”
Mahomes helped lead the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers, largely due to a daring fourth-quarter comeback. He’s made sure to pass down his experiences to his younger teammates so that they’re better prepared for the distractions they’ll face before the big game.
“Yeah, just trying to give them a blueprint of how that week goes,” said Mahomes. “Obviously, you can see it on the schedule, but I want them to see it from a player’s perspective of how much stuff you have to do outside of football and how you can still manage that and get your stuff done the right way. The Super Bowl week is special, it’s a special week, but it’s not about being down there the week of the Super Bowl – it’s about winning the game. I want guys to keep that at the front of mind and so enjoy it, enjoy the whole entire week but make sure you’re prepared to go out there and play your best football as well.”
Mahomes remains focused on the ultimate goal and wants to ensure that his teammates, especially those who haven’t been in this position before, maintain the same level of focus and poise. It’s the type of commitment the team will need if they’re to come away with a win over the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
