Patrick Mahomes Influence Goes Global As QB Talks Gun Control, Presidential Endorsement in Time 100 Profile

Patrick Mahomes has influenced the fate of the Kansas City Chiefs and the direction of the NFL long before now. But on Tuesday morning, Time Magazine named him one of the planet's most influential people of 2024 and that comes with some interesting nuggets of information.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mahomes addressed how long he might play and how his family might affect the decision on his career's longevity. 

Mahomes, the son of former major league pitcher Pat Mahomes, discussed wanting to go to spring training with the Kansas City Royals.

And, off the field, the quarterback discloses why he didn't advocate for gun control after the Chiefs' victory parade in which one person was killed amid shooting by multiple men involved in a dispute. He also talks about why he's likely not endorsing anyone publicly for president.

Oh, yes, he also talks about the Taylor Swift effect on the Chiefs.

Mahomes Is Among 100 Most Influential

Mahomes, 28, has already won three Super Bowls. He's on course to match Tom Brady's seven Super Bowl wins. But it's going to require some longevity.

Brady won three Super Bowls by the time he was 27 but won four more after the age of 37. So Mahomes might have to stick around for a long time, which is something he's thought about.

"I’ve looked, if I played until Tom's age, my daughter would be 19, 20 years old," Mahomes told Time. 

Mahomes knows that would mean possibly missing family time with Sterling, his three-year-old daughter, and Bronze, his 17-month-old son. And that might be an issue.

"I want to be there for my daughter," Mahomes said. "If I can do that, I'll continue to play. But if I feel like it's taking away from my family time, that's when I'll know it's time to go." 

Mahomes Addresses Shooting

Mahomes and his wife Brittany visited the hospital to console victims following the Kansas City Super Bowl of the parade shooting. The couple donated $50,000 to a fund the Chiefs started to aid the victims and first responders involved.

But Mahomes deftly avoided being drawn into a political debate about gun control in the wake of what was a community crisis. Instead, he called for prayers for the victims and their families.

That made some people upset because they want everyone to advocate for things, as long as it agrees with what they believe in. But Mahomes is doing it his way.

"I continue to educate myself," Mahomes said on the subject. "I don't want to make a quick response to something that takes a lot of education to really learn and make a swaying comment based off that. But I know we have to find a solution of some way to make this stuff stop."

Mahomes has been wise to not involve himself in politics, either. There's a good chance 50 percent of Chiefs fans are liberals. And the other 50 percent are conservatives.

Why disappoint half your fan base?

Patrick Mahomes addresses the masses before the Super Bowl earlier this year.   (Credit: Getty Images)

Mahomes Going Trump Or Biden?

In this regard, Mahomes perhaps understands that being influential is sometimes knowing when not to speak.

So waiting for him to endorse a presidential candidate this year, after he declined to do so in 2020, is probably a vain exercise. 

"I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain President," he said. "I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research."

Mahomes obviously has baseball in his blood and has more than thought about participating in spring training with a major league team.

"I’ve talked to the Royals," Mahomes said. "And if I can maybe go out to a spring training, I'm not opposed to that. I'll get it approved by the Chiefs and everything like that. But maybe one of these years, I go out there and see what I got. See if I can still hit the ball or pitch or whatever that is. Maybe not in the games, but I can at least practice with them."

The Time issue includes a tribute from former major leaguer Alex Rodriguez, who knows Mahomes through is dad's time in baseball. 

"I distinctly remember giving him the worst advice ever," Rodriguez said. "Don't play football. The money's in baseball.

"I'm happy to be wrong."

Pop singer Taylor Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the AFC championship game. (Credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift Effect

Mahomes was probably not the biggest star at some of the Chiefs' games this year. Well, he was the biggest football star. But when Swift began attending amid her budding relationship with tight end Travis Kelce, the dynamics of what stardom is shifted.

And some pundits believed her presence was perhaps a distraction, a reason the Chiefs languished at times during the season before regaining their footing and winning their third Super Bowl in five years.

Mahomes has a different take:

"We just embraced it," he said. "We like having that visibility. At the end of the day, football has always been this bruising sport. We want to make it fun, where kids grow up and play football and show their personality and be who they are. This year really magnified that."

Last season magnified Patrick Mahomes. Time magazine obviously agrees. 

(Featured photo for this article credited to: Joshua Kissi for TIME)