“My Heart Goes Out to Lamar Jackson”: Cam Newton Says Athletes Like Patrick Mahomes Can’t Afford to Be Seen Drunk

Some NFL players love getting out on the town and having a good time. The clubs. The drinking. Partying. It can all be alluring to 20-somethings who have just received millions of dollars overnight.

Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson go against this grain. Since entering the league, their focus has been on their personal and professional development more than anything else. With that comes the expectation and desire for Super Bowl victories. Mahomes has three; Jackson is still searching for his first. But is this focus out of desire or necessity?

Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown recently lamented how “things people of culture got to deal with” in “Corporate America.” This admission made its way to Cam Newton’s 4th&1 podcast. There, Omari “Peggy” Collins asked Newton if he felt free to be himself in the NFL. Newton immediately said “no.”

“You’re muzzled to a degree as an athlete, especially if you’re an athlete of value to a franchise… my heart goes out to the Lamar Jacksons, [to] Patrick Mahomes. Cause it’s like, you’ve got all this money, and you can’t be seen drunk. You can’t be seen having a good time… at a club… because if you’re seen… you’re running the risk of what could come from that,” Cam Newton said on the podcast.

NFL rules prohibit players from directly advertising alcohol products. Mahomes, though, has an endorsement deal with Coors Light, one throughout which he and their marketing team have exhibited great creativity. He also doesn’t shy away from indulging in beer consumption at times, particularly when he’s on the golf course.

“Every time I get on this stage, I just get a few Coors Lights in me. And it just kind of lets me loosen up… four-to-five [beers], that’s kind of where you get into that good zone. If you get any more than that that’s when you just start hitting people and fans everywhere.” – Patrick Mahomes, 2023 Netflix Cup Broadcast

Mahomes also knows how to have a good time without alcohol. He’s a frequent attendee of Dallas Mavericks and Texas Tech basketball games, where he can be seen courtside supporting his hometown team and alma mater.

Jackson has never been one for the public eye. He keeps to himself during the offseason. Ahead of the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 Divisional Round matchup with the Buffalo Bills, he admitted he’s “not trying to be friends” with other quarterbacks. The highlight of his offseason activity could be a recent video where he reacts to people trying to “touch his [drinks].”

Mahomes and Jackson have combined to make $326.5 million dollars in their NFL careers. They have the money to do whatever they want whenever they want to do it. Despite this, they still set the working standard for their teammates.

That’s why they’ve had such great success in the NFL. And with any luck, that approach will allow them to add Lombardi Trophies to their mantle in the years ahead.