Super Bowl 2024: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes says team is OK with being 'a villain'

If playing in four of the past five Super Bowls is wrong, then the Kansas City Chiefs don't want to be right.

In fact, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he and his teammates are "OK" with being viewed as the bad guys.

"I think I just like winning," Mahomes said Wednesday during media availability. "If you win a lot and that causes you to be a villain, then I'm OK with it. But at the end of the day, I'm going to enjoy playing the game and try to win as much as possible."

When the Chiefs made their first appearance on opening night in Las Vegas, they were greeted by boos from fans. Defensive tackle Chris Jones said bluntly that it's because he and his Kansas City teammates are the new "villains" and the team people love to hate.

The previous team to hold that distinction was the New England Patriots, who played in nine Super Bowls — and won six — from 2002-19. One of the main differences between those teams and the Chiefs is that fans had other valid reasons, outside of constantly winning, to hate on.

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There was the Tuck Rule in 2002, the videotaping scandal in 2007, Deflategate in 2015, the Antonio Brown signing in 2019 and those are just to name a few. Players like quarterback Tom Brady, safety Rodney Harrison and others were regularly lightning rods for opposing fans.

Kansas City shares effectively none of those similarities. It has a head coach in Andy Reid whom people typically think highly of. He regularly jokes with the media and fans, which is a stark contrast to former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who was known for his frosty disposition.

Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce highlight a roster that is often discussed glowingly — to the point that State Farm has made the pair and Reid a regular part of their commercial skits.

Fans merely seem to want more parity in who's playing in the Super Bowl and are weary with seeing the same team in the big game year in and year out. Kansas City's players appear to understand that, which is why they said they're all right leaning into it.