Patrick Mahomes has admitted that his father’s DWI arrest a week before the Super Bowl hurt him and disrupted his focus.
Mahomes Sr., who later vowed to quit drinking, branded the arrest incident his most embarrassing moment and apologized for impacting his son.
Despite this, Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to victory, later sharing an emotional on-field embrace with his father, captured by his brother Jackson.
Patrick Mahomes has opened up for the first time about the emotional impact of his father’s DWI arrest in the days leading up to last year’s Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback revealed that his focus ahead of the championship game against the San Francisco 49ers was shaken when Patrick Mahomes Sr., 55, was taken into custody just over a week before kickoff in Las Vegas.
In ESPN’s upcoming docuseries “The Kingdom,” premiering August 14, Mahomes reflected on the ordeal, saying it became a public talking point during media week.
“It was tough knowing it hurt me,” he said, adding that the incident made his father realize “you can’t keep making the same mistakes.”
“It was during that Super Bowl week. It became a story, and so I had to answer questions about it,” he added, per the Daily Mail. “I think just knowing that it hurt me woke him up to know that, like you can’t keep doing the same things.”
Mahomes Sr. also appears in “The Kingdom,” speaking candidly about the regret he felt over how his actions impacted his son ahead of the Super Bowl.
Reflecting on the arrest, he admitted: “It kind of hit home before the Super Bowl last year, when I got in trouble. For him to have to answer questions about me, you know, was probably the most embarrassing thing that I’ve ever been through in my life.”
Mahomes’ father added that he called his son right after the incident and apologized profusely, telling the football player how “sorry” he was that his arrest had “taken away” from his “time and focus.”
Mahomes Sr. revealed in the docuseries that he vowed his son would never have to face any issues due to his drinking, noting that he has not had alcohol ever since.
“I made a vow that he would never have to deal with anything because of drinking because of me. I haven’t had a drink since then,” he said.
Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, also shared that the moment seemed to be a turning point for her father-in-law.
“I think it finally hit him that, you know, ‘I have my kids watching me, I have my grandkids now that are watching me,” she said.
Brittany added that Mahomes Sr. really loves watching his son play football and “live out his dreams.”
Video from Mahomes Sr.’s arrest in Tyler, Texas, later surfaced, showing him telling officers that the incident could cost his son the Super Bowl.
Police reported spotting his white Genesis moving unusually slowly along the 1100 block of W. Gentry. A check revealed the vehicle’s registration had expired in September 2022, and officers said there was an open can of beer in the car.
In the footage, Mahomes Sr. can be heard protesting, “Are y’all serious? I’m supposed to be going to the Super Bowl to watch my son play football, and this is what we’re doing?”
He continued: “Can I say one thing? My son is getting ready to play in the f-cking Super Bowl, OK? Just listen to me. I am not drunk. I promise you. I’ve had some drinks. But he can’t have this right now. Listen, this can’t happen.”
Mahomes Sr. expressed frustration that the situation would likely hit the news, adding, “Dude. This is crazy. My son is getting ready to play in the f-cking Super Bowl and I’m doing interviews — five or six a day. And then, now, this sh-t’s going to be on the news, which is going to f-ck with him, and it’s probably going to f-ck him up.”
“And he probably won’t win the Super Bowl. But that’s fine. If that’s what y’all want to do, that’s good,” he concluded.
Mahomes Sr. was later sentenced to five years’ probation in connection with the incident.
Despite the arrest, Mahomes Sr. attended the game, watching from the stands as his son led the Chiefs to a 25-22 overtime victory, securing Mahomes’ third Super Bowl title.
Following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory over the 49ers, Jackson Mahomes captured a “special moment” between his older brother and their father.
According to Heavy.com, he shared the image on his Instagram Stories, showing Mahomes embracing Mahomes Sr. on the field.
In “The Kingdom,” Mahomes reflected on how much those moments mean to him.
“For him to be there supporting me, that’s really cool cause those moments are just moments that you won’t ever get again, and he’s been there for all of them this last year,” the Chiefs quarterback said.
