Patrick Mahomes won’t be forgetting the first time he had to face Buffalo Bills fans on the road.
Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a road win in the divisional round of the playoffs in January, outlasting the Bills to advance to the AFC title game. The game was the first time that Mahomes had to face off against Bills fans, with his only other trip to Buffalo coming during the 2020 season in a game played before an empty stadium.
In an appearance on the Impaulsive podcast this week, Mahomes said he had a realization as Bills fans greeted him with obscene gestures and pelted him with snowballs after the game.
“These people really don’t like me,” Mahomes told host Logan Paul. “It is not fake at all.”
Despite the frosty greeting, Mahomes had a surprising statement about Bills fans and the rivalry they have forged with his team.
“They have a great fanbase,” he said.
Patrick Mahomes Welcomed Hostile Atmosphere
When asked if he’s played long enough to become a “villain” in the league, Mahomes pointed to the moment his team arrived in Buffalo for the playoff game.
“This year definitely was a more villain type role for the whole team,” Mahomes said, adding, “I didn’t know how real it was until I got to Buffalo this year and I think I saw 40,000 middle fingers on the way into the stadium.”
Mahomes recalled a moment after the game, when the Chiefs had held on for a win after the Bills missed a late field goal that would have tied the game. The Chiefs quarterback said he was walking up to a young fan to hand him his sleeve when Bills fans unleashed a torrent of snowballs.
“I’m trying to hand my headband and sleeve to a kid and snowballs are just flying at me,” Mahomes said.
But the Chiefs quarterback said he understood their passion and welcomes the rivalry that’s formed between this team and the Bills.
“We have a healthy respect and rivalry with the Bills and the fan base, they just want to beat us,” said Mahomes, who has sent the Bills home in the playoffs in three of the past four seasons.
Bills Fans Took Heat for Pelting Patrick Mahomes
Not everyone was as forgiving as Mahomes. Some called out Bills fans for their barrage of snowballs after the game, especially since it came as the Chiefs quarterback was meeting with a young fan on the sidelines.
The snowballs continued as Mahomes made his way off the field and down the tunnel toward the locker room, forcing him to duck for cover.
Mahomes remained diplomatic after the game, saying he was happy to prove his team could go on the road and beat the Bills with fans in the stadium.
“First off, this is a great environment, man. It really is,” Mahomes told CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson on the field following the game, via NFL.com. “But we did hear it all week about playing a road game, and we’re here to prove a point and show that we can play anywhere.”
