Patrick Mahomes Sr. was arrested on a felony DWI charge on February 28, 2024, in Tyler, Texas, a year before the Chiefs’ 2024 Super Bowl victory. The incident came just over a week before the Super Bowl, during which the Chiefs faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. The arrest marked the third DWI charge for the former MLB pitcher, highlighting the long-standing issue of his drinking habits.
Mahomes revealed in the ESPN docuseries “Chiefs Kingdom” that the media coverage surrounding his father’s arrest served as a wake-up call for the elder Mahomes. In the documentary, Mahomes stated, “It was during that Super Bowl. It became a story, and so, I had to answer questions about it,” referring to the intense media scrutiny he faced. He noted how this scrutiny forced his father to confront the consequences of his actions, leading to a change in behavior. “I think just knowing that it hurt me woke him up to know that, like, you can’t keep doing the same things,” he said.
Mahomes Sr. also reflected on the incident, calling it the most embarrassing struggle he had faced. “It kind of hit home before the Super Bowl last year, when I got in trouble. For him to have to answer questions about me, you know, was probably the most embarrassing thing that I’ve ever been through in my life,” he said. Mahomes Sr. pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2024, receiving a 10-day jail sentence followed by five years of probation. He had been previously charged with DWI in 2008 and 2019, indicating a pattern of behavior that led to legal consequences.
The incident also impacted Mahomes’ family, with his wife, Brittany, speaking about the emotional toll it had on their children. “I think it finally hit him that, you know, ‘I have my kids watching me, I have my grandkids now that are watching me,’” she said. The emotional weight of the situation underscored the personal impact of the elder Mahomes’ actions, highlighting the broader implications of his DWI arrests on the family dynamic.
Patrick Mahomes’ father, a former MLB pitcher who played for six different teams from 1992 to 2003, including the 2000 New York Mets, whose team reached the World Series, now faces the consequences of his actions. The situation exemplifies the intersection of personal responsibility and public accountability, as well as the ripple effects of one individual’s choices on family and professional life.