The lasting memory Patrick Mahomes back of the 2024 NFL season is that he ultimately lost.
He failed.
It rather than continue his hunt for Tom Brady’s record seven-ring Super Bowl dominance and set an unprecedented brand by winning three consecutive championships, Mahomes fell short. And not just came short because his team betrayed him, but because he played badly and wasn’t what anyone, including himself, expected.
Mahomes show grace and class
Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and the wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster (9) Walk off the Field after a loss to Philadelphia Eagles under the NFL Super Bowl 59 Football Fighting, Sunday 9 February, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
So yes, bitter disappointment.
And do you know how mahomes in the midst of all this defeat and failure and disillusionment handled the moment?
Like a master.
He took his Christmas, just like all Kansas City Chiefs in the 40-22 final that wasn’t really as close as the scoring, and handled it as an adult man afterwards. As a professional.
As a winner.
Mahomes sought opposite quarterback Jalen hurt, shook his hand and offered congratulations. He also shook his hands with a few other victorious Philadelphia players, including offensive tackle Lane Johnson, and then he ran off the field.
Even Tom Brady didn’t handle this well
February 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Confetti falls while New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady (12) goes off the field after the Super Bowl Lii against Philadelphia Eagles at US Bank Stadium. (Mark J. Revilas-usa Today Sports)
No Big Deal?
Tom Brady didn’t shake Nick Foles’ hand after Eagles beat the patriots in the Super Bowl Lii. Kyle Shanahan doesn’t shake Andy Reids hand after Super Bowl a year ago. It’s the classic thing to do, but sometimes the pain and frustration at the moment the veneer of good sports.
Because losing these games hurts. Very. And Mahomes has now lost two of them, including one for Brady in the Super Bowl LV.
“Um, I mean, both sucked,” said Mahomes. “There’s no way around it. At any time you lose a super bowl, that’s the worst feeling in the world. They’ll stick to you the rest of your career.
“I mean, this will be the two losses that will motivate me to be even better at the rest of my career because you get only so few of these and you have to take advantage of these and they probably hurts than wins feel good.
Let it marinate for a moment.
The losses evoke a greater lasting feeling than victories. And yet, in the midst of the kind of personal emotional disaster, Mahomes came to the podium to meet journalists and answered about 14 questions or so with patience and class.
Mahomes respond to emotional disaster
Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen hurts (1) shakes his hands with Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after the Super Bowl Lix at Caesar’s Superdome. (Mark J. Revilas-prescribed images)
He talked about Jalen hurting to win it all.
He talked about Travis Kelce, who may have retired.
And he turned to his rough excursion by actually taking responsibility for the loss.
“I threw two interceptions,” Mahomes said. “I threw a pick-six and I threw a choice they returned to the 5-yard line and they scored immediately after, so when you give a team 14 points, especially a really good football team, a super bowl football team, Then not many good things happen.
“And then that’s why I take ownership of this loss more than probably some loss throughout my career because I sat down in a bad place, and even though we put some statistics at the end of the game, these statistics didn’t do.” It really means something because I had already lost the momentum for this whole team.
At the beginning of the Super Bowl week, Mahomes were asked several times about his faith. And he boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ. He spoke openly about God.
He said he will use Jesus as an example of how to live his life.
And predictably, the haters said it’s easy to do when your team wins 15 out of 17 games in regular season and two playoffs after that. It’s easy to be close to God when the breeze off consecutive Super Bowl winner is on one’s back.
Mahomes Thanks God Himself in defeat
Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) responds from the sidelines in the second half against Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Lix at Ceasars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-IMAGN images)
But what about the hard times?
Where was Quarterback’s god on Sunday night while he was fired six times? And where did this mess of a game left Mahomes and his familiar faith?
The answer to both questions is exactly where it was all before the game.
God apparently let the bosses take one on the chin. They say setback is a setup for a fantastic comeback. I think it is in the gospels somewhere because Jesus suffered invisible punishment on the cross on Friday and died, but did not stay so long.
Sunday’s big victory certainly came.
Mahomes, meanwhile, thanked God after the loss of Kansas City. He thanked God “For every occasion he has given me.”
It does not change the fact that the Eagles were better. It does not change the fact that Mahomes went home with a L.
But this loss also did not change the fact that Mahomes took the setback as a master.
