Patrick Mahomes is ‘die-hard Cowboys fan’ with positive omen making instant Thanksgiving history

Patrick Mahomes has never played on Thanksgiving or at AT&T Stadium.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback will have at least two reasons to be thankful on Thursday as he ticks items off his bucket list in his home state.

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A clash with America’s Team the Dallas Cowboys on primetime with his season potentially on the line, these are the days Mahomes grew up wishing for.

“You grow up watching Thanksgiving games no matter who you’re a fan of,” he said. “If it’s the Lions, Cowboys, or whoever is playing at night, you grow up watching those games.

“I think that kid in me wants to be able to go out there and play on Thanksgiving and find a way to win.”

The Chiefs – 15th in talkSPORT’s latest Super Bowl contenders list – beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to keep their playoff pursuit on track and while there will be tired bodies, excuses will not be coming out.

“Obviously, a short week where we’re grinding in here right now and getting the whole game plan in and making sure everybody’s prepared and ready to go,” Mahomes added. “I think we’re excited to get to go out there and play on Thanksgiving against a really good football team and the whole world watching.”

Mahomes was born in Tyler, Texas, and went to school at Texas Tech. The three-time Super Bowl champ is 12-0 in domed stadiums and has plenty of people coming out to support him.

He once described himself as a “die-hard Cowboys fan” in his teenage years and will have a huge entourage following him as his wife Brittany has invited around 50 friends and family to the game.

“Just getting to play back at home, and obviously have a lot of people in attendance that may not get to come up to Kansas City all the time and watch games,” he added. “It will be a really cool experience to play there [at AT&T Stadium], especially on Thanksgiving, and I’ll have a lot of family and friends in the stands.”

The Cowboys’ shock win over the Philadelphia Eagles means both teams have a realistic chance of a postseason run despite disappointing seasons.

And there are plenty of other intriguing storylines on display.

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The Chiefs began life as the Dallas Texans and shared a stadium — the Cotton Bowl — with the Cowboys for three years.

Founder Lamar Hunt Sr. hailed from Dallas and many of the family, which still own the Chiefs, still reside in the area.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has plenty of history with his opponents.

Dad Marty was hired as Kansas City’s seventh head coach in 1989,and led the team to seven playoff appearances and three division titles over a decade at the helm.

Brian played quarterback at Blue Valley High School and won a state championship in 1991 before joining the University of Kansas in 1992 and ultimately finding a place on his dad’s staff with the Chiefs before forging his own path.

“I hold the Hunt family in such high regard,” Schottenheimer said. “They were so good to us when my dad was coaching there. I was there one year with him.

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“But just even the way they looked after my dad after he was sick, I think that means the world to me.

“Then of course when you have the success that they had, it’s fun for me to look back on that. But incredible people in the organization, and they’re a lot like this organization. It’s family. Family first.”

In a game filled with homecomings, the halftime show is no exception.

Post Malone was born in Grapevine — near Fort Worth –and makes his Thanksgiving debut.

“Extraordinarily excited,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “You know his background.

“He used to come over every night and sleep in [Texas Stadium], when his dad was in charge of all of our beverage. And he slept over there for years, because his mother was working, and then she would finish her work and then he’d go home. For several years, probably four or five, had a cot for him, and he slept.”

Post Malone performed America the Beautiful ahead of Super Bowl LVIII and appeared alongside Beyoncé at halftime of the Houston Texans’ Christmas Day loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.

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