Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists he is humbled by his latest Super Bowl appearance.
Mahomes is preparing for his fourth NFL title match in the space of five years on Sunday as the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.
Having won two of them, Mahomes’ success by the age of 28 has led to predictions that he could go on to emulate Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl triumphs.
Yet Mahomes is not looking beyond this weekend.
“It’s humbling because I never thought I would be in this many Super Bowl games, honestly,” he told reporters at a media conference.
“You strive to be great but you understand how hard it is to even be in this game, and for us to be in my fourth one in my sixth year of starting truly is remarkable.
“I don’t take it for granted because you never know if you’re going to be able to be back in this game.”
Brady won six of his Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in what was considered one of the game’s greatest dynasties, but Mahomes is reluctant to discuss the Chiefs in such terms.
He said: “I think the biggest thing about the dynasty is consistency. Trying to be consistently great every single year, not getting too big-headed or satisfied with where they’re at.
“You have to continue to do it year in and year out and I don’t think you can really say that you’re a dynasty until it’s over and people will look back at your career and how you did it.”
Mahomes’ first Super Bowl triumph came against the 49ers four years ago but he will be up against a different quarterback in this weekend’s rematch in 24-year-old Brock Purdy.
Purdy has come a long way since being labelled ‘Mr Irrelevant’ after being drafted 262nd and last in 2022, breaking into the team last season and being first choice throughout the current campaign.
Mahomes said: “He’s a great football player. He makes all the right plays. He’s a guy that goes out there and just competes, and he finds a way to win football games. That’s what you have to do in this league.”
The 49ers have not won the Super Bowl since their fifth triumph in 1995 but Purdy is drawing inspiration from their past great quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Purdy said: “I’m not going to compare myself to them or anything but they’ve set the standard for winning in this organisation.
“When you look at the 49ers logo, you think of success in Super Bowls because of those guys.
“They’ve been so great to me, supporting me, and when you talk to them you’re obviously in the presence of greatness.
“They got the job done and so it definitely makes you think, ‘all right, let’s step it up and live up to the standard that they set’.”
Star NFL tight end Kelce reportedly agrees to two-year extension with Chiefs
Travis Kelce has been instrumental to the Chiefs' success over the past few seasons and will remain in Kansas City for the next few seasons.
The four-time All-Pro tight end and the Chiefs have agreed to a two-year contract extension, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Terms of the extension were not disclosed, but Rapoport reported Monday that the deal will make him the NFL's highest-paid tight end.
Kelce is currently under contract through 2025, so the new deal will keep him in Kansas City through 2027 after his age-37 season.
The 34-year-old Kelce is Kansas City's all-time leader in receiving yards with 11,328 yards, while ranking second in receptions (907) and second in receiving touchdowns (74). He is just 10 catches away from passing Tony Gonzalez as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions and three TD catches away from surpassing Gonzalez's record in that category.
A third-round pick by the Chiefs in 2013, Kelce saw his NFL record streak for a tight end of consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards end at seven in 2023, when he finished with a team-high 984 yards. His 93 receptions were also the most on the Chiefs, and he had five touchdown grabs.
It may have been a down season by his standards, but he was still named to his ninth Pro Bowl team and once again produced in the play-offs.
In helping Kansas City defend its Super Bowl title and secure its third Lombardi Trophy in the last five seasons, Kelce caught 32 passes for 355 yards with three touchdowns in four play-off games. In the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in February's Super Bowl, Kelce had nine receptions for 93 yards,
In addition to being one of the most prolific tight ends in NFL history and a core member of the Chiefs' recent dynasty, Kelce has gained enormous popularity in the last year due to his relationship to pop icon Taylor Swift.
Three-time Pro Bowl running back Elliott rejoining Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back two-time NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott after the sides agreed to terms on a deal Monday.
Dallas selected Elliott with the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, and he won the NFL rushing title as a rookie (1,631 yards) and again in 2018 (1,434).
After a contract holdout prior to the 2019 campaign, Elliott landed a $90million, six-year extension and wound up rushing for 1,357 yards that season.
He only surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground once from 2020-22 before being released in March 2023 and signing a one-year contract with the New England Patriots.
Elliott ranks third in Dallas franchise history with 8,262 rushing yards behind all-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith (17,162) and Tony Dorsett (12,036).
He is also third in team history with 68 rushing touchdowns behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Smith (153) and Dorsett (72).
Elliott, who will turn 29 years old in July, ran for 642 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games with New England last season.
Tony Pollard led Dallas in 2023 with 1,005 rushing yards before signing with the Tennessee Titans in March.
Texans wide receiver Dell shot, suffers minor wound
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was shot as an innocent bystander and sustained a minor wound outside a nightclub in Samford, Florida on Saturday night.
The team said Dell has already been released from the hospital and is “in good spirits.”
A total of 10 people were wounded in the shooting, but all the injuries are non-life threatening.
Houston selected Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Daytona Beach, Florida native had 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games last season.
Dell did not play after Week 13 due to a fractured fibula.
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