The quarterback considered by many to be the best player in the NFL is steering clear of partisan messaging in the wake of a shooting at a parade celebrating his team’s 2024 Super Bowl victory.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs has rebuffed calls to advocate for gun control, according to a Time magazine profile of the two-time NFL MVP published Tuesday.
“I continue to educate myself,” Mahomes told Time. “I don’t want to make a quick response to something that takes a lot of education to really learn and make a swaying comment based off that.”
“But I know we have to find a solution of some way to make this stuff stop,” he added.
The shooting at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade in February left one dead and 22 wounded.
On the day of the tragedy, Mahomes posted on X that he was “praying for Kansas City.”
Time reported that Mahomes and his wife Brittany also visited victims in the hospital and donated $50,000 to a fund to “aid the victims and first responders and support violence-prevention organizations.”
Mahomes took a similarly hands-off stance in the Time interview when it came to the 2024 presidential election.
“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain president,” he said, instead urging Americans to make their own informed decision.
“I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion also addressed the longevity of his NFL career, expressing some doubt that he would play as long as all-time legend Tom Brady did.
Mahomes pointed to his desire to spend time with his family as a potential obstacle to a 20-year career.
“If I played until Tom [Brady]’s age, my daughter would be 19, 20 years old,” he said.
Patrick Mahomes talks retirement:
“I’ve looked, if I played until Tom Brady’s age, my daughter would be 19, 20 years old, I would love to play that long. At the same time, I want to be there for my daughter. if I can do that, I’ll continue to play. But if I feel like it’s taking… pic.twitter.com/Ni1kjVRIyG
— BBQ Chiefs (@BBQChiefs) April 16, 2024
“I would love to play that long. … At the same time, I want to be there for my daughter. If I can do that, I’ll continue to play. But if I feel like it’s taking away from my family time, that’s when I’ll know it’s time to go.”
