Patrick Mahomes may be laser-focused on reclaiming the Super Bowl title, but he’s still finding time to enjoy the offseason—and flex a few unexpected moves. At the Kansas City Chiefs’ latest organized team activities (OTAs), Mahomes was all smiles, showing off both leadership and footwork, with a little help from a very familiar face.
Patrick Mahomes Is All Smiles Wile Channeling His Inner Messi
The Kansas City Chiefs set Instagram ablaze this week after posting a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from day eight of OTAs. But the standout image? Mahomes juggling a football with his feet in a skillful soccer-style trick that instantly caught fans’ attention. The caption teased, “@FIFAWorldCup see you in a year ⚽️,” referencing the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off in Kansas City among other cities next June.
Crazy pic 😂😂😂 https://t.co/YEa8uaQF42
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) June 11, 2025
It wasn’t the first time Mahomes has leaned into his admiration for soccer. Ahead of the Super Bowl earlier this year, he called Lionel Messi the G.O.A.T. when he learned about the soccer legend’s presence at the game. Although Kansas City fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes’ hunger for greatness clearly hasn’t waned.
Now preparing for the 2025 season, Mahomes looks poised to keep the Chiefs in title contention. He ended the 2024 campaign with 3,928 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and a career-best 67.5% completion rate—numbers that underscore his continued dominance.
Alex Smith Returns to Camp and Reflects on Mahomes’ Rise
The other surprise at OTAs? A special visit from Alex Smith. The former Chiefs quarterback and Mahomes’ one-time mentor returned to the facility to spend time with the current roster and offer insights to the quarterback room.
Smith’s presence was more than ceremonial. Chiefs fans flooded the comments of the team’s social media posts, urging the organization to offer Smith a coaching job. Many credited him with helping to shape Mahomes into the generational talent he is today.
In a recent interview on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Smith echoed that admiration, calling Mahomes “the best quarterback in the NFL at the line of scrimmage.” He explained, “The problem is he’s so good at improvising that it gets all the attention.”
Smith also recalled the early days of Mahomes’ career, saying it wasn’t immediately obvious he was destined for greatness. “There was no thing early on that he did that made you think, ‘Oh, he’s got it,’” Smith admitted. But things changed quickly—especially after Mahomes’ first NFL start against the Denver Broncos in 2017.
Smith believes the decision to let Mahomes sit and develop for a season was crucial. “Kansas City is reaping the rewards of that kind of patience,” he said.
As the Chiefs prepare to kick off their 2025 campaign with a Week 1 matchup in São Paulo, Brazil, against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes seems ready for another MVP-caliber season.