Patrick Mahomes has spoken out after he was body shamed by internet trolls on his return to Kansas City Chiefs training – and admitted he was “surprised” by the reaction

Patrick Mahomes has opened up about being “surprised” by body-shaming trolls after images from his return to Kansas City Chiefs training sparked unwarranted comments.

The three-time Super Bowl champ was back at the team’s voluntary OTA session on Wednesday at the Truman Sports Complex, with a majority of his teammates in attendance, though tight end Travis Kelce was notably absent.

A tweet from the Chiefs’ official account captured Mahomes walking into training, ready to gear up for the 2024 season. But online critics were quick to label him as sporting a “dadbod”, a claim Mahomes later laughed off on “The Pat McAfee Show” as a result of “holding my shirt in”.

While chatting with McAfee, Mahomes joked that he’ll opt for baggier t-shirts in the future and quipped: “I guess people still haven’t realized that I don’t have abs. So I’ll continue to work on that.”

Mahomes also touched on various topics during the interview, including life at Arrowhead Stadium and even dished on playing matchmaker for Kelce and Taylor Swift, claiming a slice of credit for the romance between Kelce and the pop icon.

He reminisced about the fateful concert in Kansas City, saying: “I like to take some of the credit. I was the one who invited Travis to the first Taylor concert when the friendship bracelet [idea came up]. He was sitting in my suite, so I feel like I was the matchmaker.”

Patrick Mahomes returned to his duties during OTA’s on May 22 at the team’s training facility

Mahomes didn’t stop there, adding his own encouragement to the blossoming relationship: “I had some input in there as well,” he said, recalling how he urged Kelce to make a move at the concert. “I was like, ‘Dude, you should go for it. Just go for it.’ And you know Travis, man. He does it. He’s a great dude. I’m glad that it’s all worked out for the best.”

Mahomes has also stood by his teammate Harrison Butker amidst the backlash over comments made during a graduation speech – although he stopped short of supporting the kicker’s controversial statement.

While he didn’t echo Butker’s sentiments, Mahomes spoke to his character: “I judge him by the character that he shows every single day and he’s a good person. There’s certain things that he said I don’t necessarily agree with but I understand the person that he is. He’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”