Super Bowl Sunday Finally Here And It's A Day Patrick Mahomes Wants To Own

LAS VEGAS – The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers mugged for the cameras and the media at Opening Night when Super Bowl week began last Monday. And while it was a hectic and, at times, bizarre couple of hours, Patrick Mahomes managed to find a moment to himself.

In that moment, amid the bedlam, Mahomes stood next to the Lombardi Trophy that will be awarded Sunday evening to the World Champions. And he took a selfie with other players and the trophy.

And then snapped one of himself with the trophy.

"Had to do it," Mahomes sheepishly said later.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 5: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks at the Vince Lombardi Trophy during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on February 05, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Don't Be Fooled By Other Super Subplots

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback hopes the photo memorializes his time with his trophy.

And that's what this Super Bowl is about.

For days, you've been bombarded with Super Bowl subplots and narratives:

It's Brock Purdy's chance to rise from his Mr. Irrelevant draft status.

It's possibly Andy Reid's final game (it won't be).

It's the marriage proposal game because Taylor Swift flew all the way from Tokyo to Vegas Saturday night so she could watch boyfriend Travis Kelce play on the NFL's grandest stage. And maybe afterward, if the Chiefs win, a championship ring and wedding might be in order.

There's been all that surrounding this game.

But it is, at its core, the Patrick Mahomes Bowl. His spotlight.

His time.

HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 07:  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 and tight end  Travis Kelce #87 warm up during Kansas City Chiefs practice ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on February 07, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Chiefs Hopes Rest On Patrick Mahomes

"He’s the reason why we’re here and why we’re able to keep coming back," Kelce said. "He just gives his team a certain sense of urgency and confidence that we can go and get it. 

"He’s a once-in-a-lifetime player, man."

There's that. One reason this is the Mahomes Bowl is because without him, the Kansas City Chiefs simply would not be here. 

You'll recall no one expected the Chiefs to be Super Bowl champions last year after they lost Tyreek Hill. They won it all. And no one expected them to be here this year when the receivers led the NFL in drops and simply looked inept at times. They're here.

All because, ultimately, Mahomes.

The quarterback who threw 50 TD passes in his first season as an NFL starter in 2018 has grown. This season was his best on shorter passes to fit the troubled talent around him.

Patrick Mahomes mvp awards

Mahomes Changes Style To Fit Team

He recorded the most completions (320) and touchdowns (19) on passes traveling less than 10 air yards during the regular season. In the AFC championship game against the Ravens, he completed 26 of 28 passes for 159 yards on such attempts.

You must recall that from 2018-2021 Mahomes led all quarterbacks with 44 deep touchdown passes. But since 2022, he has added just two more. Mahomes accepted what he was given and made it work.

The Chiefs have every intention of fixing that "issue" in the offseason, regardless of the outcome of Sunday's game. A club source said one offseason priority will be to give Mahomes a better receiver corps in 2024. 

But the fact the Chiefs have reached this game with their current set of receivers speaks to one guy: Mahomes.

"When you put that guy on a team," Kelce said, "he makes everybody better."

Mahomes is the best in the NFL right now. And, frankly, he's not just trying to hold serve in a league that boasts Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and other dominant quarterbacks.

Mahomes is at this Super Bowl chasing the ghost of Tom Brady and the retired quarterback's career accomplishments. Brady won seven Super Bowls and Mahomes can have three at age 28 if he wins on Sunday.

So the chase of Brady is on. Everyone understands that.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 28: Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo talks with Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs and Brittany Mahomes after the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

The Chase Of Tom Brady

"I think one of the great gifts for Patrick Mahomes and his career is that there is a Tom Brady out there," CBS Super Bowl LVIII game analyst Tony Romo said. "The Super Bowl is the biggest thing when you're a kid. It's everything. If you don't win a Super Bowl, you haven't accomplished your life goal. 

"But Patrick's not just chasing a Super Bowl. This week he is. He's not thinking deeper than that. But he has a guy that's on a pedestal, and he's trying to get there. I think that is such a unique gift for him to have someone to chase."

Romo notes that Tiger Woods had Jack Nicklaus. Each major was a chance for Woods to advance to the ultimate goal of catching Nicklaus and his grand achievement of winning 18 majors titles. 

So each major win was a grand accomplishment but not the end game.

Mahomes has that with Brady and those seven Super Bowl rings.

"Mahomes having that is going to allow him not to rest on his laurels," Romo said. "It's going to make him where he never takes an offseason off. This is a hard-working individual, who's highly competitive, who's as gifted naturally as anyone and knows how to maximize his abilities. And he's still chasing him. And this Super Bowl is another step in that process and he knows that."

HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 08: Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to the media during Kansas City Chiefs media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa on February 08, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

One Super Bowl At A Time For Mahomes

Romo was right in that Mahomes is chasing two goals – winning this game and catching Brady. But one step at a time.

"Your goal is to be the best player you can be," Mahomes said. "So right now it's doing whatever I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring.

"…Ask me that question in 15 years, I'll see if I can get close to seven but seven seems like a long way away. You want to play as long as they'll let you. It takes a lot of work - taking care of your body, eating healthily, try to get rid of the 'dad bod' that I got, do whatever you can to be healthy.

"If I can still go out there and have success and love it every single day, and put the time and effort into it, I'll play. I'll do whatever I can to keep doing that."

He'll do whatever he can to keep this from being the last Mahomes Bowl.