Patrick Mahomes means a lot of things to a lot of people in Kansas City.
But while most view the 3-time Super Bowl champion quarterback with a sense of pride, one longtime Kansas City radio host views him as an “embarrassment.”
Not because of Mahomes’ disappointing play in last season’s Super Bowl or because the 29-year-old has now gone two full seasons since he was last named the NFL’s MVP. Rather, Kevin Kietzman’s issues with the 6-time Pro Bowl quarterback stem from pictures that emerged from his Fourth of July weekend, in which he doesn’t appear to quite be in playing shape just yet.
“Vacation photos are popping up of Patrick Mahomes and he’s fat,” Kietzman said on his iHeartRadio podcast, Kevin Kietzman Has Issues on Monday. “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. 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.
“… Stop. Stop the fast food. Do a sit-up. Do something… there’s no training to this man. I don’t understand it. He’s not a kid anymore. You can’t just run through your NFL career eating Taco Bell all the time… it’s time, dude. It’s time.”
While there are still a few weeks left to go until the start of training camp, Kietzman stated that the idea of a player working his way into shape once practice already begun is from a bygone era. He also added that his comments were coming from a place of love and his belief that arguably the greatest quarterback of his generation isn’t fully maximizing his potential.
While Kietzman might be overstating the current status of Mahomes’ physique — he’s certainly not “fat” — it’s also fair to wonder what the former Texas Tech star could do with a more sculpted frame. Then again, if there’s one current athlete who is above such criticism, it might be Mahomes, who has already become one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history before the age of 30.
Ultimately, commentary regarding Mahomes’ body is nothing new and the 2-time NFL MVP has even leaned into his dad bod aesthetic for marketing purposes. Will he have to change his habits as he gets older and his metabolism slows down? History, science and this author’s own personal experience say yes. But until he shows signs of on-field decline — or the Chiefs go another full season without a Super Bowl title — there’s no reason to think he’s in need of a Taco Bell intervention just yet.