Patrick Mahomes’ family may be obnoxious, but they aren’t the reason why the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t as dominant as they have been the past two seasons. Still, they probably should take it down a notch.
Not long ago, Skip Bayless suggested Mahomes is regressing as a quarterback. He has indeed had a down year relative to previous seasons. But in Week 6, he proved he’s still an upper-echelon signal-caller, completing passes with ease against the Washington Football Team’s secondary.
Mahomes threw a couple of interceptions, but he got the job done. However, it was his family that made headlines after the game.
Jackson Mahomes has become somewhat infamous in the NFL
Before the game, the Football Team paid homage to the late Sean Taylor, retiring his number and inducting him into the Ring of Honor. Washington rushed the ceremony and might have put it together to deflect the negative attention the franchise has received lately due to a series of leaked emails. Still, that doesn’t justify what Patrick’s brother Jackson did.
During the memorial, the younger Mahomes was filmed dancing and showing a lack of tact while Washington was trying to pay respect to Taylor. He ended up offering a half-baked excuse on social media. But keep in mind this wasn’t the first time Jackson did something he wasn’t supposed to. After the Chiefs’ 36-35 loss to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year, he poured a bottle of water on some Ravens fans. Mahomes had to defend his brother’s actions in the press conference after the game.
Randi Martin also became a trending topic after Week 6’s game
Jackson wasn’t the only member of the Mahomes family who got the spotlight last weekend. Randi Martin, Mahomes’ mother, argued that any interception that isn’t Mahomes’ fault should be filed as a “fumble or anything else.”
Listen, family is important, and most parents would try to shield their children from unpleasant situations. Tom Brady Sr. did it during the Deflategate saga in the mid-2010s. It’s not surprising to see Randi come to Mahomes’ defense when he struggles. She has done it several times in the past. The same is true for Brittany Matthews, Mahomes’ fianceé, who has come to his defense several times. Who wouldn’t stand up for a relative or a significant other?
Also, it’s easy to forget that Jackson is only 21. Like several young adults, he will occasionally make questionable decisions. He doesn’t hurt anyone when he uploads videos of himself dancing. They may come across as silly or even annoying, but the younger Mahomes’ antics don’t negatively influence his older brother’s performance on the field.
However, Randi’s and Jackson’s profiles have increased considerably and could end up becoming a distraction. Earlier this year, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson asked his mom to take down all her social media because of all the negative attention she was getting. Wilson’s mother cited the positive influence she has on his followers as a reason not to comply with the request. But she has toned it down a notch since then. She hasn’t had the attention she used to garner a few months ago.
The Chiefs’ 3-3 record in 2021 has magnified the issue
Patrick Mahomes can’t tell his mom to stop supporting him. Similarly, nobody should blame Jackson for trying to gain notoriety on social media. But he needs to set boundaries. You don’t see Ciara taking the spotlight away from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The same is true for Gisele Bundchen with Tom Brady. Both wives might have a more prominent public profile than their respective husbands, but neither one overshadows them when they play.
A more extreme case could be that of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay Packers quarterback dropped a figurative nuke on his family and isn’t currently on speaking terms with them. Mahomes doesn’t have to go scorched earth like Rodgers, but he doesn’t have to answer for his family’s behavior the way he did for Jackson after the Ravens game.
Make no mistake; this had been a non-issue in the past. The only reason it has become news is that the Chiefs’ lack of on-field success has made it seem like a more significant issue than it is.
