Patrick Mahomes explains when he knew the Chiefs were the NFL’s new villain

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been an NFL darling since taking over as a full-time starter in 2018.

But as Mahomes has recently found out, fans start to turn on players and teams that are always winning, and because of that, Mahomes admitted on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast that he’s accepted that he and the Chiefs are the new villains of the NFL.

“This year, definitely, was the more villain-type role for the whole team,” Mahomes said. “I don't think I really realized it — I heard people talking and obviously social media, there's people always talking — so I didn't know how real it was until I got to Buffalo this year.”

The game Mahomes referenced was the Chiefs' 27-24 win in Buffalo in the AFC divisional round on Jan. 21.

The Bills led 27-13 at halftime and took a 24-20 lead into the fourth quarter, but Mahomes drove the Chiefs 75 yards down the field on eight plays — he accounted for 48 yards through the air — for the go-ahead score. The win sent Kansas City to its sixth straight AFC Championship Game.

“I think I saw 40,000 middle fingers on the way into the stadium,” Mahomes added. “They were ready to go. We go out there and win, I'm trying to hand my headband and sleeve off to a kid, and snowballs are just flying at me. … I'm just like, 'These people really don't like me.' It's not fake at all.”

Since taking over as Kansas City’s starting QB, Mahomes has played in the AFC Championship Game every year and won three Super Bowls. If he can lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl title this year, they’ll become the first team in NFL history to three-peat as world champions.