Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re inseparable. And unless the Chiefs shockingly don’t extend his contract when it expires in 2031, they’ll always be linked. However, Mahomes once yearned to play for another NFL franchise.
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As a child, Mahomes loved the Dallas Cowboys. He grew up in Tyler, TX, located 100 miles east of Dallas. This close proximity to the organization helped breed a passion for the team. Once he became a Chief, Mahomes had to abandon any love he felt for the Cowboys. He didn’t deny that his allegiances once lay with Dallas, though.
“I grew up a Cowboys fan… I was more [a fan of] Romo. [Troy] Aikman was right before me. So I got a lot of close playoff games but not a lot of wins. I was still a die-hard Cowboys fan growing up,” he told Forbes in 2021.
But according to his father, Pat Mahomes Sr., location wasn’t the only factor.
“[He] used to play Baylor when he was at Texas Tech at the end of the season. It was always at AT&T Stadium. And when he would get there, Tony Romo and Jerry Jones would always leave him a note and tell him that he was gonna be a future Cowboy and this and that,” Pat Mahomes Sr. told Kansas City’s FOX4 News in January 2024.
Mahomes only saw Romo deliver two playoff victories during his time in Dallas. He personally has enjoyed much more fruitful postseason success, going 17-4 with Kansas City. Those 17 wins are the second-most playoff triumphs by a quarterback in NFL history (Tom Brady – 35).
Mahomes Sr. appreciated the kind words Romo and Jones offered his son. However, the year before Mahomes left college for the NFL, Dallas selected Dak Prescott in the NFL Draft. Prescott, a fourth-round choice, wasn’t expected to be the Cowboys’ franchise signal-caller right away, if at all. But he dominated as a rookie for an injured Romo and staked his claim to the gig.
Following Prescott’s incredible campaign, Mahomes Sr. told Mahomes he “probably wasn’t going to be a Cowboy anymore.” As disappointing as that reality may have been, he’s not complaining these days. Dallas has still not reached an NFC Championship game in three decades. Meanwhile, Mahomes has captured three Super Bowls and thrust himself into the GOAT conversation with the Kansas City Chiefs.
As mentioned, it’s unlikely Mahomes ever separates from the Chiefs. But if he does, his childhood aspirations may offer some insight as to where he’ll wind up. He has already functioned as Kansas City’s franchise savior. Reaching the same status for the Cowboys would be the completion of a lifelong dream.
