KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Somehow further immersing himself in the fabric of Kansas City professional sports and extending his broader reach and influence, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become part of the Kansas City Current ownership group, the club announced Tuesday morning.
In joining co-owners Angie and Chris Long and Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, the club said, Mahomes is the first active NFL player to have equity in an NWSL team.
The development both reflects and reinforces the fact that the 2-year-old club is an increasingly vital and emerging force in Kansas City, where its presence is most tangibly evident at the Berkley Riverfront of the Missouri River:
The club is building a largely privately funded 11,500-seat, approximately $117 million ultramodern stadium that is the first of its kind to be built exclusively for an NWSL team and a rarity worldwide for any women’s professional team.
From one civic treasure to another, you might say, the Current now has one more unique element going for it.
Already an investor in the Royals and Sporting KC, Mahomes’ latest endeavor means he holds an ownership stake in three of Kansas City’s four professional teams … to say nothing of his high-profile day job.
“I am thankful for the chance to join my wife as part of the Kansas City Current’s ownership team,” Mahomes said in a statement released by the club. “Brittany and the Longs have done an incredible job building a world-class organization. I am excited to join another championship-caliber club as it continues to make history.”
Per the release, Brittany Mahomes said: “We are so thrilled to make this a family affair and have Patrick join as an owner. He has been a huge supporter behind the scenes.
“His passion for the Current is undeniable, and I am glad that he will be with us as we continue on our journey to become the best in the NWSL.”
Also in the release, the Longs said “working with Brittany has been a blessing” and that they are “elated” to have Patrick join them.
“Patrick is obviously a once-in-a-generation athlete,” they said, “and someone who has had an immeasurable impact on the Kansas City community.”
That extends increasingly beyond his considerable exploits on the field, where this season he led the Chiefs to a 14-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC entering the postseason. The Chiefs are seeking their third Super Bowl berth in four seasons.
The impact also goes beyond the significant work of his “15 and the Mahomies Foundation” that led to him being named the Chiefs’ nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
It means he has a notable role with every pro team in town.
And who knows where that might go from here?
Not long after signing a $500 million contract in 2020, Mahomes at age 24 was believed to have become the youngest part-owner of a major professional franchise in history when he joined new Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman’s investors.
“I love this city and the people of this great town,” Mahomes said in a statement at the time. “This opportunity allows me to deepen my roots in this community, which is something I’m excited to do.”
A year later, Sporting KC announced he had purchased an ownership stake with Mahomes expressing similar reasoning about the why of that.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join Sporting Kansas City’s ownership team and strengthen my connection to the fans and the city I love,” he said in a statement then.“Sporting is a community-oriented club, and I am excited to continue supporting the growth of soccer in Kansas City.”
While the announcement Tuesday reiterated his eagerness to invest in Kansas City and teams of local interest, it also figures to continue to fuel speculation of his interest in one day becoming a principal owner of a pro sports franchise.
In fact, Mahomes has spoken before of that, including about the notion of bringing an NBA team here.
“It would definitely be a goal of mine to get a team to Kansas City,” Mahomes told The Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff in 2021. “It’s a long-term play that hopefully we’ll be able to do some day.”
For the time being, though, Mahomes has plenty else to occupy him — now including being a more direct part of another dynamic element of a Kansas City on the move.
