Will easygoing Patrick Mahomes, whose Chiefs might be underdogs come Sunday, lastly lean right into a slight for motivation?

At 5 years outdated, Patrick Mahomes would shag pop-ups on the pregame infield of the Texas Rangers, the place his father, Pat, would guarantee teammates that his child might deal with it with out getting injured. Quickly he was getting coached up by at least Alex Rodriguez.

“He would watch my swing and provides me pointers,” Patrick mentioned.

Rising up in Whitehouse, Texas, the tales of Mahomes’ athletic feats are limitless and never simply in soccer.

There have been 300-yard drives in golf, center college excessive bounce victories and testimonials about how he might make a wiffleball bend like nobody had ever seen. He was an ace in ping pong, a no-look go specialist as a degree guard and he taught himself to modify hit to keep away from boredom in Little League. As soon as, in tee ball, he fielded a grounder at quick and threw it so laborious it knocked over his first baseman (Mahomes was moved up an age group after that).

“I knew he’d be an expert athlete when he was 7,” his mom, Randi, as soon as instructed the Kansas Metropolis Star. “I’m critical. There was by no means a query.”

That is how Mahomes has all the time carried himself – stuffed with confidence, fully comfy with any problem in entrance of him, simply able to play. He belonged. He’s all the time belonged. Basketball. Baseball. Soccer. No matter. Nobody has ever doubted him. If he didn’t play within the NFL, he’s in all probability in MLB.

Tom Brady has seven Super Bowl titles and 9 figures of internet value and he’s nonetheless fueled by getting drafted 199th overall. Mahomes has by no means wanted the motivation-of-the-slighted to energy him.

Michael Jordan received six NBA titles and is a worldwide icon, but he spent his total profession fuming about getting placed on the junior varsity … as a highschool sophomore.

On the identical age, Mahomes did not win the quarterback job for his highschool (Whitehouse Excessive had a senior who would play at Stephen F. Austin) and was moved to protection the place he performed security. Then the College of Texas, amongst others, recruited him for the defensive secondary, not QB. Offended? Hardly. He simply shrugged and located a faculty (Texas Tech) the place he might play quarterback … and pitch on the baseball crew.

Mahomes is seemingly too easygoing to even keep in mind, not to mention invent some affront.

At the very least to date.

Sunday shall be one thing new for Mahomes, he’s enjoying in an AFC championship sport the place his Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been, for at the least a short while this week, the betting underdog. And it’ll comply with a lot of pregame media dialogue about whether or not his counterpart in Cincinnati, Joe Burrow, not Mahomes, is the most effective quarterback within the sport.

Patrick Mahomes, underdog? It doesn’t make plenty of sense. The query is that if it turns into some form of constructive motivating issue – because it has traditionally for therefore many athletes.

“I don’t really feel like an underdog,” Mahomes mentioned on Wednesday. “Particularly at Arrowhead.”

The betting traces moved in Cincinnati’s favor attributable to issues over the high ankle sprain Mahomes sustained in a victory over Jacksonville final Saturday. As stories of full-health (or near it) and video of him transferring properly at follow have emerged, it’s shifted again within the Chiefs favor (-1).

Nonetheless, a lot of the media chatter has been about Burrow and whether or not he might rightfully declare the title of the league’s finest quarterback with a victory Sunday. It’s not with out advantage, particularly since he’s received his final three duels with Mahomes, most notably in final yr’s AFC title sport.

Loads of athletes would have heard all of that and seen crimson. Their coaches would have posted it up on the bulletin board – or today simply despatched to their telephones a video mashup of analysts speaking up Burrow.

Mahomes isn’t these different guys, although. It’d get to him. It won’t. It’s laborious to say, the person strikes with such ease that it’s inconceivable to recall him ever getting rattled by something.

“I believe totally different guys use it in several methods,” Mahomes mentioned. “I simply attempt to go on the market and put together myself to play my finest soccer. If you’re not fired as much as play a crew that is overwhelmed you 3 times in a row within the AFC championship sport you then’re not going to be fired up for any sport.”

Mahomes was drafted tenth total in 2017 and spent his rookie yr principally sitting and studying. After that, he grew to become a celebrity. He threw 50 touchdowns in his first yr as a starter and is 58-16 (playoffs included) total. Not solely has he reached at the least the AFC championship sport each season, he’s by no means performed a highway playoff sport (simply two impartial website Tremendous Bowls).

Even the primary time he performed for the AFC title, a January 2019 loss to Tom Brady and New England, the Chiefs have been 3-point favorites. And whereas Brady was Brady, the sport was hyped as a lot as a attainable passing of the torch as the rest.

So now that there’s the slightest trace of disrespect – hey, possibly Burrow is best? – will Mahomes flip into some raging MJ clone and look to crush anybody who ever dared to doubt?

In all probability not.

“I’m excited to play up towards an incredible soccer crew and put up my finest effort to go on the market and get a win,” he mentioned.

Let’s-just-play has all the time been his type.