Mahomes on Madden: ‘Can get to 99’ on field

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A week after he learned he was the fourth-rated quarterback in Madden NFL 26, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chose to give a diplomatic response to the popular video game’s decision despite leading his teammates to the Super Bowl the past three seasons.

“I like playing Madden, so I would like to be rated higher,” Mahomes said, grinning. “But I’ve got to play and showcase that stuff on the field. I believe that if I go out there and play the football I want to play, we can get to 99 pretty quickly.”

In a bit of a surprise to most fans of the video game, Mahomes’ overall rating was 95. Three of Mahomes’ contemporaries — Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals — were all rated higher. Allen and Jackson are rated 99, the highest in the game. Burrow is third with an overall rating of 97.

“They rated you 95, again,” Bobby Stroupe, Mahomes’ longtime trainer, wrote in a post on his X account that included a photo of the two of them during an offseason workout.

Following Thursday, Mahomes was more focused on the Chiefs’ upcoming preseason opener Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. The exhibition will be the first time that Mahomes plays with several newcomers in new positions, such as rookie left tackle Josh Simmons, left guard Kingsley Suamataia, running back Brashard Smith and receivers Tyquan Thornton and rookie Jalen Royals. Mahomes is expected to start Saturday’s game and lead the offense for a couple of drives in the first quarter.

“I don’t necessarily look forward to getting hit,” Mahomes said, laughing. “I always like getting hit once [in the preseason], but it’s still a shock. I’m just excited to see where we’re at.”

Mahomes also shared that he will not be bringing his own smelling salts to games this season. On Tuesday, the NFL sent a memo to all 32 clubs that stated “clubs are prohibited from providing or supplying ammonia in any form at NFL games” for the 2025 season. The next day, the league acknowledged that players can still supply their own smelling salts for games.

“I’m not a big smelling salts guy,” Mahomes said. “I’m not really hitting people, though. I know people do use those and not for bad reasons. It’s to get ready to go. I’m sure some people figure out a way to get the smelling salts out there. It’s a vital part of the game.”