By Sean Graney and Abigail Hirshbein
Medill Reports
LAS VEGAS – When the Kansas City Chiefs entered halftime immediately after putting up their first points, but down only one score, Patrick Mahomes said it was the defense that kept them in the game, and the offense just needed to execute.
“Let’s be us out there, and if we’re going to go down, let’s have fun, let’s enjoy it, give everything we have and we’ll live with the results after,” Mahomes said after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed him the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player trophy on Feb. 12.
“I knew it was going to turn,” Mahomes said. “The way the guys work, whenever stuff got tough, especially in that receiver room, offensive line or with me.”
His message to the team was similar to the way he and the offense approached a regular season filled with more struggles than he’d previously faced in the NFL. The Chiefs’ offense averaged the fewest points per game in the 2023 regular season since Mahomes became the starter in 2018. However, the 2023 team also allowed the fewest points per game in that same time period.
“Our defense kept us in it all year long,” Mahomes said. “I knew our offense was going to turn because of how hard guys were working every single day. And when you work that hard, usually good things happen.”
Kansas City announced Wednesday it signed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to a contract extension.
Mahomes welcomed questions on the challenge of consistently winning and being in the big game each year, and pointed to doing the small things and adapting accordingly to what every team uniquely presents each year in the NFL.
Mahomes credited the entire team for the late-season momentum, which propelled the Chiefs’ turnaround that fittingly found Kansas City playing their best ball in Super Bowl LVIII.
“I want to take credit, but it was everybody,” Mahomes said. “It just happened to happen right at the perfect time, and we got that momentum going into the playoffs and obviously got to win the Super Bowl.”
In an up-and-down tumultuous season, Mahomes described the resiliency of the entire franchise and emphasized how hard everyone in the building works together toward one common goal.
“I know how hard these guys get after it. I know how hard the coaches work. I believe we’re the hardest-working team in the NFL,” Mahomes said. “Everybody came to work that next day and (said) let’s get that extra work and let’s do those extra things. When you see that, you know it’s going to turn around.”
After the Chiefs officially locked in Mahomes with a 10-year, $450 million extension in 2020, the star quarterback pointed to the front office and coaching staff for bringing in impact players on both sides of the ball, empowering Kansas City as yearly title contenders.
“It’s a tribute to Coach (Andy) Reid and Brett Veach and continuing to bring great players in,” Mahomes said. “If you look at our defense, and how young they are, they’re drafting great, they’re finding these guys that they can bring in to play and develop. … Our coaching staff is developing players. I’ll try to keep as much flexibility as I possibly can as far as the cap and stuff like that. But it’s a credit to all the people they got around me.”
Mahomes said some of the best advice he has received came from Mike Vick, who played quarterback for Reid on the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I always take so much when Mike Vick talks to us,” Mahomes said. “I built a great relationship with him whenever he came in. The first thing he told me: ‘You’re going to be special, but look at that big man right there. He’s going to take you to another level.’”
“I took that and ran with it,” Mahomes said. “Going into this week, he said, ‘Be champions, go out there, (and) show everybody who y’all are.’”
As for next season, Mahomes says his experience in Kansas City’s first attempt to win back-to-back Super Bowls following the 2020 season showed him how best to prepare as the reigning champs.
“All you can do is come back next year with the fresh mindset, knowing it’s going to be even harder and we got to continue to play our best football,” Mahomes said. “We’ll celebrate these next few weeks, and then we’ll get right back at it.”
In just six seasons as a starter and at 28 years old, Mahomes will look to do with the Chiefs something that has never been done before in NFL history: win three straight Super Bowl titles.
“It’s legendary,” Mahomes said. “I mean to be able to do (something) no one’s ever done. We knew it’s legendary to win back-to-back. I think eight other teams had done it.”
“We heard it all week,” he said. “We talked to the guys about it, and we felt like we had the best opportunity that we had ever had to go out there and do that.”
Sean Graney and Abigail Hirshbein are sports media graduate students at Medill. You can connect with them on X @SeannGraney, Instagram @Seann.graney, @abigailhirshbein, and LinkedIn.
