National Football League

Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes to Derek Jeter: Growing up, I wanted to be MLB player

Updated Sep. 24, 2023 1:33 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has established himself as the best signal-caller in the sport — but did he actually want to play a different sport growing up?

In an interview with FOX Sports MLB studio analyst and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter, Mahomes expressed how he wanted to go all the way with baseball as a kid.

"I wanted to be a baseball player, 1000 percent," Mahomes said to Jeter on FOX NFL Sunday. "Growing up in clubhouses, I got to meet you when I was really young. I wanted to be a shortstop. It wasn't until high school that I remember going out there on those Friday Night Lights in Texas, I fell in love with being the quarterback."

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Mahomes' father, Pat Mahomes Sr., pitched 11 seasons in the big leagues.

The Chiefs' star elaborated on how playing shortstop helps him as a quarterback, before acknowledging that baseball is harder to play than football.

"I always say when you're playing shortstop, sometimes you have to throw from different arm angles, different platforms and still be accurate," Mahomes said.

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So far this season, Mahomes has totaled 531 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, two interceptions and an 88.1 passer rating, while completing 62.5% of his passes. He has also rushed for 75 yards. Across five full seasons as Kansas City's QB (2018-22), Mahomes has racked up two Super Bowl MVPs, two NFL MVPs, two All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl nods.

Mahomes and the Chiefs are 1-1 this season, with a 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and a 17-9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. The Chiefs host the Chicago Bears in Week 3 at 4:25 p.m. in "America's Game of the Week" on FOX.

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