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Ranking the 25 Most Influential Sports Figures of the Last Quarter Century | Bleacher Report
18. Patrick Mahomes
Top Accolades: 3 Super Bowl titles, 2 NFL MVPs, 2-time All-Pro
Top career highlight: 3rd-and-15 completion in fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV, which eventually led to his first title
Years active: 2017-2024
Defining outside-the-lines influence: Philanthropic efforts
After sitting as a rookie in 2017, Patrick Mahomes took command of the Kansas City Chiefs and made a remarkable impact. He threw for 5,097 yards and an NFL-best 50 touchdowns to win league MVP.
And he’s hardly slowed down.
Through six years as QB1 in Kansas City, the gunslinger has celebrated three Super Bowl titles with a fourth trip to that stage. Each of those seasons ended no earlier than the AFC Championship, and Mahomes added a second MVP during the 2022 campaign.
Mahomes certainly isn’t the inventor of strange arm angles and no-look passes. Still, his play style is already having a clear influence on this generation of QBs in high school and college.
As he continues to act as the post-Tom Brady face of the NFL, the 29-year-old is also growing as a voice for social change and is no stranger to charitable efforts, as his 15 and the Mahomies foundation is “dedicated to improving the lives of children.”
Ranking contenders for 2025 Super Bowl: Vikings, Steelers legit? Bills, Lions headline top teams to beat | CBS Sports
4.Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 12-1 | Offense Rank: 12th | Defense Rank: 7th | Odds: +489
Once a big-play fireworks show, the Chiefs have fully morphed into scrappy late-game magicians, going undefeated in 15 straight one-score decisions dating back to 2023. Relying so much on timely Patrick Mahomes scrambles feels unsustainable, but Steve Spagnuolo’s defense remains suffocating against the run, forcing other clubs to scratch and claw. They’re living on the margins, but as long as Mahomes and Andy Reid are at the controls, they feel inevitable, much like the 2000s New England Patriots.
NFL on Netflix Christmas games broadcast lineup announced | USA Today
The more the merrier, right?
Ian Eagle (CBS) will kick things off as the play-by-play announcer for the first matchup between the Steelers and Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. He will be accompanied in the booth by analysts Nate Burleson (CBS) and J.J. Watt (CBS) and on the sidelines by Melanie Collins (CBS) and Stacey Dales (NFL Network).
Eagle will then pass things off to his son, play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle (NBC Sports), for the Texans’ matchup against the Ravens at NRG Stadium in Houston. Greg Olsen (FOX Sports) will serve as the analyst alongside Eagle, while Jamie Erdahl (NFL Network) and Steve Wyche (NFL Network) will be on the sidelines.
Super Bowl 2025 odds: Lions favored to win it all; Chiefs on the rise, Bills drop | The Athletic
The playoff push calls for playoff atmospheres. The Week 14 slate had plenty of that, with teams within the top-five Super Bowl odds duking it out in one-score games. After some entertaining matchups, things remained the same at the very top of the Super Bowl odds, with the Detroit Lions (+260) still favored to hoist their first Lombardi Trophy.
Before Week 14 kicked off, the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills were all tied at +500 to win Super Bowl LIX. But, after the conclusion of last week’s games, the top end of the betting board did see a shift.
10 Quick Facts Following the Chiefs Week 14 Win Over Los Angeles | Upon Further Review | The Mothership
4. Tight end Travis Kelce surpassed 12,000 receiving yards for his brilliant career.
Kelce caught five passes for 45 yards on Sunday while making history in multiple ways in the process. For one thing, Kelce topped the 12,000-yard mark for his career, becoming the fastest tight end in NFL history to do so (172 games). The previous record-holder, Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, hit the 12,000-yard mark in 210 games.
The All-Pro tight end also notched his ninth-consecutive season with at least 80 catches on Sunday night, breaking the NFL record that he previously shared with Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice (all with eight straight).
5. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins found the end zone for the fourth time as a Chief.
Hopkins hauled in a 9-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half, marking his fourth scoring grab since joining Kansas City in late October. The veteran wide receiver now has 30 grabs for 357 yards and four scores in seven games with Kansas City.
NFL The Final Word: Should Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs be concerned ahead of playoffs? | Sky Sports
Should the Chiefs be worried?
He marched them downfield and Matthew Wright doinks the winning 31-yard field goal in off the post, clinching the AFC West for a ninth year in a row for Kansas City.
There are concerns here. This offense gets bogged down far too often in the red zone, which is where Mahomes and Travis Kelce used to absolutely thrive.
And their quarterback took another beating behind a worrying offensive line, which will be an issue going down the stretch. They have to find a way to conjure up protection because he is getting battered every week.
Around the NFL
Joe Burrow’s home broken into during Monday night’s game | ESPN
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home was broken into during Monday night’s game against the Cowboys in the latest home burglary of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday.
No one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies weren’t immediately able to determine what items were stolen. A person who is employed by Burrow arrived at the Anderson Township home Monday night to find a shattered bedroom window and the home in disarray. The person called their mother, and then 911 was contacted, according to the report.
Deputies reached out to neighbors in an attempt to piece together surveillance footage.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Roster: Matthew Wright credits routine for his game-winning kick
Placekicker kicker Matthew Wright stole the spotlight with a game-winning field goal that hit the upright before bouncing through. The pressure-packed moment was just another opportunity to rely on his meticulous preparation and mental discipline.
“I just try to do the same routine I do every time,” Wright told reporters after the game. “Say the same phrases in my head — and just try to focus on being as routine-based as possible.”
The 31-yard attempt — hardly different than an extra-point kick — drifted to the left as it approached the goalposts. Among the millions watching, Wright wasn’t the only one who thought it might not go through.
“It’s not good,” Wright recalled of his reaction to the ball’s trajectory. “I wanted it to go right down the middle, obviously — but I’m just happy it went in.”
After the ball’s dramatic “doink” off the left upright, the crowd surrounding GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium erupted — although you couldn’t prove that from Wright’s account.
“I’m sure I’ll look back and see it,” he said, “but I don’t remember that at all.”
Wright does, however, remember that preparation for these game-deciding moments is the key to a placekicker’s success. That’s why he sticks to a consistent routine.
“[I] just stay in the net as long as possible,” he explained, “try to do a kick on third down, and then get ready to run out on the field. I knew we were going to call a timeout, so I was just in the net until the timeout — and then ran out.”
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