Recently retired Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne talked about one of Patrick Mahomes’ apparent key ingredients for being an NFL superstar Wednesday during “The Adam Schefter Podcast.”
Henne claimed Mahomes wears the same pair of red underwear each Sunday, ostensibly as a “good luck charm.”
“He comes into the locker room, boom it’s right there. And I’ll be stretching and, like I said, you just glimpse up and you’re like, ‘Damn, kid’s wearing them again.’ Like, this is definitely — has to be a superstition and a good luck charm for sure,” the former quarterback said.
Patrick Mahomes is so superstitious that he has worn the same pair of red underwear for every NFL game he had played.
🎧 https://t.co/4EbBpOY4zs pic.twitter.com/C47iN75c9D
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2023
Hearing this reminds me of how Michael Jordan allegedly wore his North Carolina practice shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls uniform every single night for good luck.
Jordan wound up being known as the greatest basketball player of all-time while apparently wearing those NC practice shorts, so Mahomes allegedly wearing his worn-out red undies may not be so crazy after all. (RELATED: Patrick Mahomes Seals His Hall Of Fame Case After Leading Chiefs To Comeback Super Bowl Victory Amid Injury)
Though it seems gross and scuzzy that Mahomes apparently does this, it’s helped him reach NFL superstardom. In Mahomes’ short six-year career, he has accomplished more than most quarterbacks in the history of the sport.
Mahomes has led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice (2018, 2022), led the league in passing yards (2022), won two league MVP awards (2018, 2022), two Super Bowls (2019, 2023), two Super Bowl MVP awards (19′, 23′) and has been named to five Pro Bowls (2018-2022), according to Pro Football Reference.
I’m a firm believer in routines and rituals to get the best out of someone. Mahomes wearing this exhausted pair of red underwear could be the number-one thing to get his psyche right on Sundays, for all we know. It may be filthy to some, but if it’s true, it’s seemingly playing a part in helping him carve out a legendary football career.