Patrick Mahomes loves the spotlight of playing on Christmas Day, but regrets not being able to enjoy Christmas Eve with his family.
The two-time Super Bowl champion, 28, will lead the Kansas City Chiefs as they host the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, December 25, at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I mean, everybody’s gonna be just opening presents and getting the food in them, and then they’re going to be the happiest they possibly can be, and they’re gonna turn on and see the Kansas City Chiefs playing. So I’m excited about that,” Mahomes told Pro Football Talk in an interview published on Wednesday, December 20.
However, there is a downside to playing on Christmas. The team will spend Sunday night at a local hotel, meaning Mahomes will miss time with his son and daughter.
“I’m a little disappointed I’m going to miss Christmas Eve with my kids and Christmas morning and miss Santa coming,” Mahomes admitted.
He shares daughter Sterling Skye, 2, and son Patrick “Bronze” Lavon, who turned 1 on November 28, with his wife, Brittany. Mahomes got engaged to his high school sweetheart, 28, in September 2020, and they married in March 2022.
The Chiefs play at 1 p.m. ET Monday, and after the game, Mahomes will celebrate the holiday with his wife and kids.
“I’ll be able to spend the evening with them and open presents with them then,” Mahomes continued. “So, it’ll be a great opportunity. I’m excited for that.”
Mahomes knows playing football requires sacrificing time away from his family, including traveling for away games throughout the year. He wants his children to understand that during his time away from them, he’s working to make a better life for them.
“When my kids grow up, I want them to see that dad wasn’t just gone just to be gone. I was gone doing something, to build, to be great,” he told CBS Mornings in July. “And so, whenever they get older, they can see how hard I worked.”
The quarterback is also dedicated to being a positive role model for other children.
“I want to be someone that the kids can look up to and say, ‘Hey, I want to be like Patrick Mahomes,'” he continued. “And I want parents to think that, ‘Hey, that’s a guy that I want my kid to be like.’ And so, that’s how I’ll play the game.”
After winning the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2018 and 2022, Mahomes is recognized as one of America’s greatest athletes. He is proud of his achievements, and also wants to be known for making a difference off the field.
“I want to always be remembered as a great quarterback, but remembered more as a better person,” he noted. “That’s my goal — I want people to see the love that I have for the game of football, the love I have for my family, and the love I have for being a role model. And I think if they see that, and they remember me as that, then I’ve done what I need to do.”
