“He Was Like a Little Puppy”: Julian Edelman Recounts 2018 Encounter with Rookie Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is the most accomplished, active quarterback in the NFL. The 29-year-old signal-caller already has three Super Bowl victories. That total matches the combined figure of every other starting quarterback in the league, with Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, and Jalen Hurts each having claimed one.

Evidently, Mahomes is one of five quarterbacks with at least three Lombardi Trophies to his name. That’s the person he is now. However, when Julian Edelman first met Mahomes in 2018, the young quarterback had yet to start a professional game.

Edelman and Mahomes crossed paths at a Super Bowl LII party. Edelman, who tore his ACL in Week 1 of the preseason, didn’t get to help Gronkowski and the New England Patriots battle the Philadelphia Eagles in that game. However, watching the contest alongside Mahomes turned out to be an enjoyable experience for the former WR.

“Patrick Mahomes was just like the coolest little dude… we were just sitting back, chugging beers. I didn’t even really know who he was… but you could tell he was one of the dudes that you wanted to hang around… he was like a little puppy there, man… ‘yo, let’s take a shot’… it’s so crazy to see where his story [has] gone,” Edelman recalled on Dudes on Dudes.

Edelman didn’t know what caliber of player Mahomes would go on to become. He’ll likely never consider Mahomes to be a greater quarterback than his former teammate, Tom Brady. But if Edelman’s feelings about Brady’s dietary habits are any indication, he may feel Mahomes is the better dinner date.

Interestingly, Julian’s former teammate Rob Gronkowski too echoed similar feelings about PM15.

Gronk thinks Patrick Mahomes is “the ultimate dude”

Many people with Mahomes’s success would let their accomplishments get to their head. If they weren’t one already, they’d become an unpleasant person to be around. For all intents and purposes, it doesn’t seem that Mahomes has morphed into one of those characters.

Mahomes is often seen at other sporting events. He sits courtside but engages with the crowd and roots for his hometown teams. He even celebrated with a fan who won an in-house golf contest during a Texas Tech basketball game earlier this year.

Could it all be an act? Potentially. But it’s clear Edelman doesn’t think it is, and Gronkowski doesn’t either.

“Patrick Mahomes just seems like the ultimate dude. A great guy, great teammate. [A] person that you know… will never get too big time for anyone. Fame will never change this guy. The way he acts, the way he carries himself… that’s why he’s loved by America. The Chiefs might not be loved by America, but there’s no one that says, ‘hey, I don’t like Patrick Mahomes,” Gronkowski added.

This fun-loving, laid-back personality is surely endearing to Mahomes’ teammates. As a result, when he gets intense and demands focus on football duties, they’re inclined to follow his lead. That’s why Kansas City has captured three Super Bowls under his guidance. And with any luck, they’ll win more in the future for those same reasons.