SPORTS-FBN-MCDOWELL-COLUMN-KC Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivers a brief speech upon receiving the Derrick Thomas Award during the 101 Awards ceremony at the Loews Hotel on March 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/TNS EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx 110561268W EmilyxCurielx krtphotoslive941528

Patrick Mahomes might be a 3 time Super Bowl champion, but unfortunately for him, he isn’t immune to the brutality of football fans. Recently, when he was on his way to the Chiefs facility for an OTA, he was severely criticized by fans for having a ‘dad bod’. Fans went off on X (Twitter) and shamed the athlete for not “being in shape.” Amidst all of these hurtful comments, Mahomes made an appearance on the Pat McAfee show and addressed concerns about his “dad bod.”

The QB didn’t seem too fazed by the comments people made. He mentioned how he had addressed the dad bod comments last season. Moreover, when McAfee asked Mahomes his reaction to the slander, he said,

“It kind of surprised me. I thought we got the whole dad bod thing out of the way last off-season, last season actually in the playoffs but I guess people still haven’t realized that I don’t have abs.”

Interestingly, McAfee gave the young QB some advice too. He explained that with the kind of fame and greatness he is reaching, people will scrutinize him even more. It’s one of the most predictable patterns in sports. When an athlete reaches the kind of status Mahomes has so early in his career, people ostracize and nitpick at the littlest things.

McAfee reassured Mahomes and even mentioned that despite what the naysayers say, watching Mahomes’ journey is truly a privilege. And McAfee is not the only one who supports the QB. Other former NFL players spoke up in support of Mahomes and against the hate he received from fans. One in particular was Matt Ryan.

Matt Ryan’s Thoughts on Patrick Mahomes and His ‘Dad-Bod’

While judgemental NFL fans might be fixating over Mahomes’ dad-bod, former QB Matt Ryan defended him. He spoke about it to the Daily Mail and made his opinions clear. Per the Daily Mail, he agreed with Mahomes’ reasoning of needing padding as a QB. Ryan also made it clear that he thinks Mahomes is in really good shape for a quarterback.

Moreover, he also pointed out that whatever Mahomes’ physique is, there is nothing lacking in his performance. He said, “His performance has been better than anybody’s the last five or six years, so I think he’s doing OK.”

Players with real-time NFL experience have dismissed the criticism. And given Mahomes’ track record, the hate for the way he looks is quite absurd. As he continues to pave the road for his team’s three-peat journey, his supporters await a silencing performance from him.