Despite being among the best to ever sling the pigskin around, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has frequently been criticized for his physique.
On Monday, an old admission made by the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback about his eating habits came to light, and based on a concerning trend from 2024, there may be reasons to believe that unless he cleans up his off-field habits, his performance on the field may be impacted.
Patrick Mahomes doesn’t eat what you’d think
In a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, revealed that the two-time MVP eats Doritos “every night” in bed. Mahomes himself also told GQ that he loved to eat “a lot” of chips and candy.
“I have to keep my body in shape,” Mahomes said. “So nobody tell my trainer this or the Chiefs, but I’m a big snacker. I like to eat a lot of chips…candy, whatever is. Especially at nighttime, which I know is the worst part of the day to eat snacks. I always grab either a purple bag of Doritos…or I grab some gummies with like the JOLLY RANCHER gummies. Green’s my favorite flavor or Starbursts…”
While he was younger then, concern from fans and media members alike grew earlier this month as a result of shirtless pictures of Mahomes with his wife from the Fourth of July.
Fourth of July photos sparked plenty of chatter about Mahomes’ weight
Among the many internet fitness experts who jumped into the comments to berate Mahomes for his “dad bod,” was Fox’s Kevin Kietzman.
The host of “Uncanceled” blasted Mahomes for his eating habits, imploring him to stop eating fast food.
“Vacation photos are popping up of Patrick Mahomes, and he’s fat. I’m gonna say it, and I’m gonna tell you the truth, that’s why you hit the play button, he’s an embarrassment,” Kietzman said. “You’re a $500 million quarterback, you’ve made all these comments in the offseason that ‘We’re gonna do our talking on the field, we got our butts kicked in the Super Bowl, we’re coming back with a vengeance.’ Dude, you’re fat. Your belly would be fat at my pool, hanging out with us, 60 year olds. My skin is flabbier than yours, I get it. Stop. Stop the fast food. Do a sit-up. Do something.”
Concerning sack numbers from 2024 show a lack of mobility
While the criticism is harsh and likely unnecessary for a professional athlete who is among the best ever to play, it is worth noting that Mahomes wasn’t nearly as elusive this past season as he was in years past.
He was sacked a career-high 36 times on the year, and as the Chiefs fought for a Super Bowl three-peat, Mahomes was sacked six times in the team’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
The rise in sacks also came after he suffered a crushing ankle injury in December, which he played through to end the year. Although there is a lot that goes into avoiding sacks and injuries, it appears that those online are convinced it starts in the kitchen and not on the gridiron.
