When Patrick Mahomes revealed coach Andy Reids' unique method to keep him grounded
Patrick Mahomes had an incredible start to his NFL career that immediately put him on the map as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Just a few weeks into his first season as a starter in 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback shared with ESPN's Lisa Salters that his team keeps him humble.
Mahomes, who was just 23 years old at the time, told Salters that head coach Andy Reid and his Chiefs' teammates mimic his voice, which has sometimes been compared to Kermit the Frog:
"If I have ever gotten too big of a head, they just kinda bring out the voice, you know, they try to mimic my voice. That's kinda gotten its thing in the locker room."
As for who does the voice the best? Mahomes replied:
"Coach [Andy] Reid does. He has the perfect imitation of the voice."
In his first season as a starter in 2018, Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 12-4 record and a division title, while throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. The Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Raiders mocked Patrick Mahomes' voice with Kermit puppet
Patrick Mahomes said years ago that he could deal with his own team mimicking his voice. However, AFC West rivals the Las Vegas Raiders doing so this summer was entirely different.
During 2024 NFL training camp, the Raiders passed around a Kermit the Frog puppet which they used to mock the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. They added brown curly hair and a Chiefs jersey to the puppet to ensure everyone knew what the idea was.
Patrick Mahomes was then asked by reporters if he saw the video of the puppet and the Raiders players poking fun at him. He said that he heard about it and then suggested that he would handle the situation on the field.
"Stuff like that happens. It'll get handled when it gets handled. Everybody just lets me play. They know how I am. They don't need to send me anything to keep me motivated."
The Las Vegas Raiders should have realized that taking jabs at a three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP wasn't the best route to take. The Chiefs are 5-0 while the Raiders have made multiple personnel changes and have a 2-4 record. Watch out for their matchup on Sunday, Oct. 27.