Earlier this year, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu warned that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would go “on a revenge tour” this coming fall following the club’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
During a recent chat with Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Mahomes addressed his mindset after the Chiefs fell short of becoming the first team in NFL history to three-peat as Super Bowl champions.
“It just gives you a little extra in some of the workouts and those film sessions, to try to find the little things to get even better,” Mahomes explained. “You try to do that when you have success, but at the same time, when you have success, you can sometimes be complacent. Obviously, you don’t want to lose the game, but it can give you a little bit more motivation to be even better.”
Mahomes has nothing to prove at this point, as he’ll be a three-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP when he turns 30 years old on Sept. 17. That said, the defeat against the Eagles understandably has left a bitter taste in his mouth. He tossed two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, as the Eagles built a commanding 34-0 lead in front of a worldwide audience.
“When you make it that far and then you’re at the end, it just hurts,” Mahomes said about his latest Super Bowl experience. “You put so much hard work into it. So, losing on that final step is always hard. But it’s how you respond. I thought we responded well after that last Super Bowl loss, just kind of building back and getting even better and winning a couple more championships. …But you can’t prove it until you go out there and do it.”
The fact that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is in the final year of his contract and may begin his “Last Dance” season in September could give Mahomes extra fuel heading into Kansas City’s Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on Friday, Sept. 5.
According to Pro Football Reference, Mahomes ended the 2024 campaign ranked eighth among qualified players with a 67.6 adjusted QBR, ninth with an average of 245.5 passing yards per game and ninth with 26 touchdowns through the air.
Mahomes suggested he feels he must be “better” later this year.
“There’s plays on the football field that I didn’t make last year, that I’ve made in previous years,” Mahomes told Bell. “At the end of the day, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win, whether that’s passing for a lot of yards, not passing for a lot of yards. But I think if I play better, that’s going to make it better for the team. “
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Chiefs fourth among the betting favorites at +850 odds to win Super Bowl LX this coming February. Mahomes will look to show he’s in midseason form when he faces the Chargers defense on the first Friday of September.
