Patrick Mahomes, ever the supportive friend, showed up at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Dylan Raiola, a.k.a. “Baby Mahomes,” make his sophomore debut for Nebraska. Unfortunately for Raiola and Mahomes both, he exited just before the final whistle. If he had stayed, he would’ve seen his döppelganger lead Nebraska to a W in their season opener.
Raiola, a five-star recruit and the highly touted leader of Nebraska’s future, has often been compared to Mahomes for his arm talent, improvisation skills, and, of course, for their matching appearances and swagger. Their bond has only fueled those comparisons.
Mahomes has embraced the mentorship role, offering advice and encouragement to Raiola as he takes his first steps into the college football spotlight.
“I know Dylan, I train with him in the offseason. He’s a great kid, a great football player.I think he is going to make his own stamp on the game and I think you’ve seen that early in his career,” Mahomes said in September 2024.
Five-star QB Dylan Raiola pulled up to Nebraska camp looking like Patrick Mahomes: pic.twitter.com/imwoJXecvW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2024
While fans were excited to see Mahomes courtside at “Baby Mahomes'” game, they were just as quick to notice his early exit. According to reports, Mahomes slipped out of Arrowhead Stadium with about seven minutes left in the game, just before Raiola sealed the victory.
Bleacher Report highlighted the moment in a playful Instagram post: “Mahomes didn’t get to see Dylan Raiola lead Nebraska to a W in their season opener.” Well, Mahomes has finally replied and revealed the reason.
True to his reputation, the family man had to head to bed early to “wake up with the kids in the morning.” Replying to a post about the incident, the 3x Super Bowl winner good-naturedly added, “my bad,” with laughing emojis.
Mahomes on why he left Riola's game early 😆 pic.twitter.com/CMR0nb6WXM
— NFL World, What's Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) August 29, 2025
Despite being the face of the NFL and arguably the most recognizable athlete in America, Mahomes consistently prioritizes his family.
Whether it’s showing up at his daughter’s soccer practices, celebrating milestones with his son, or carving out time during the busiest stretches of the NFL season, Mahomes has made it clear that family always comes first. So, its no surprise that he once more prioritized his family.
