Patrick Mahomes is entering his 10th season in the NFL and has come to accept that his time as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback won’t last forever.
As training camp rolls on ahead of the 2026 campaign, Mahomes, 30, is learning to appreciate the little things.
“I feel like your whole career though, you have to enjoy the moments,” he told reporters at Chiefs camp on Saturday, August 8. “To have that different perspective, now being a father is to enjoy the little moments and enjoy the time at camp, enjoy the cafeteria, because all of a sudden you’re going to look up, you’re not going to be coming back here.”
He continued, “And so, I hope that’s a long ways away, but I do enjoy getting to be here, listen to this music I’ve never heard of and just be that old guy at camp now and try to build those relationships with your teammates.”
Patrick and his wife, Brittany Mahomes share three kids, daughters Starling, 5, and Golden, 19 months, as well as son Patrick Jr., 3.
The three-time Super Bowl champion is also coming off ACL surgery after he suffered a season-ending injury last season. Patrick is still rehabbing and hopes to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season when the Chiefs host the Denver Broncos on September 14.
“I’m a competitor, so game day, I wanna be out there,” he told reporters in July. “I understand the process of getting myself ready to play, and the regular season is more important [than preseason games]. We will, the doctors and coaches will make that decision for me, but I will prepare myself like I’m gonna play.”
As for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who has been an NFL head coach since 1999, he’s not worried about how many more years Mahomes has to suit up.
“I don’t worry about it because he’ll be here a lot longer than I am,” Reid, 68, said during a Monday, August 10 press conference. “Yeah, listen, he is all in. I mean, that covers everything. He’s all in, every day and I love that part of him.”
Meanwhile, it’s not likely that Mahomes will play in any of the Chiefs’ three preseason games, beginning Saturday, August 15, at home against the Los Angeles Rams.
“I mean, there’s a pretty good chance where I don’t play him,” Reid told reporters on Friday, August 7. “[The] percentages are leading that way. I don’t know if I’ll play him in the second or third game. I don’t know that. The percentages probably lean against not doing that.”
Reid added that the preseason would also be an opportunity for Mahomes’ backups to prove their worth. Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier are behind Mahomes on the Chiefs’ quarterbacks depth chart.
“We’ve got new people behind [Mahomes] that need some work,” he said. “The more reps they get, the better.”
