The park was calm that afternoon, with only the occasional rustling of leaves and distant murmurs of city life breaking the silence. Patrick Mahomes sat on a worn-out blue bench near the fountain, his hood pulled low over his face. His coat was tattered and frayed at the edges, his jeans faded and slightly torn. A brown paper bag rested beside him, stained and crumpled, while his mismatched sneakers peeked out from under the hem of his pants.

He looked nothing like the NFL superstar that millions admired. That was the point.

A police cruiser slowly rolled into the parking lot. Two officers stepped out, their boots crunching against the gravel as they surveyed the area. The younger officer, with a buzz cut and a freshly polished badge, nudged his partner—a stocky man in his 40s named Officer Higgins, whose uniform bore the marks of years on the force, including a coffee stain near his chest pocket.

“Another vagrant,” the younger officer, Officer Martinez, muttered, nodding toward Patrick. “This park’s turning into a homeless camp.”

“Let’s see what he’s up to,” Officer Higgins replied, his voice lacking enthusiasm. “Maybe he’s harmless.”

The two officers approached. Their footsteps were heavy and deliberate, their presence commanding.

“You can’t sit here all day,” Martinez snapped. “This is a public park, not your living room.”

Patrick looked up slowly, his eyes shadowed beneath his hood. He said nothing, simply reaching into the brown paper bag beside him.

Martinez tensed, his hand moving toward the baton at his hip.

“Easy,” Higgins murmured, though his voice lacked conviction.

Patrick pulled out a sandwich, wrapped in wax paper. He unwrapped it carefully and took a bite, chewing slowly, as though the officers weren’t even there.

“Did you hear me?” Martinez pressed. “I said you can’t sit here all day. You got somewhere to go?”

Patrick swallowed his bite and met the officer’s gaze. “I’m not bothering anyone. Just eating my lunch.”

“That’s not the point,” Martinez shot back. “People like you make the place look bad. You scare off families, tourists.”

Officer Higgins sighed, crossing his arms. “What’s your name?”

Patrick hesitated, his fingers tightening slightly around his sandwich. “Pat,” he finally said. “Pat Matthews.”

Martinez smirked. “Pat Matthews, huh? You a football player in your spare time?”

Patrick didn’t respond, keeping his expression neutral.

Martinez stepped closer, looming over him. “Let me see some ID.”

Patrick set his sandwich down and carefully pulled out a worn leather wallet. He handed it over. The ID looked legitimate but bore no resemblance to his current disheveled appearance.

Martinez frowned but handed it back. “Why aren’t you at a shelter or something?”

“I like the fresh air,” Patrick replied simply. “Is that a crime?”

Higgins shifted uncomfortably. “He’s not doing anything illegal,” he muttered. “We can’t just kick him out.”

“Maybe not,” Martinez said, his eyes narrowing, “but we can make it uncomfortable for him.”

Patrick’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up his sandwich and took another bite.

A woman walking her dog called out, “He’s not hurting anyone! Why are you bothering him?”

Martinez turned toward her, his face hardening. “Ma’am, this is none of your concern.”

“It’s a public park. He has as much right to be here as anyone else,” she shot back.

Higgins raised a placating hand. “Ma’am, we’re just doing our job. Please move along.”

The woman hesitated, then shook her head and continued walking. Patrick watched her go, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. He set his sandwich down and brushed crumbs from his lap. “Am I free to go?”

Higgins nodded, but Martinez wasn’t convinced. “Find somewhere else to sit.”

Patrick stood, taller than the officers had expected. Adjusting his hood, he gave Martinez a measured look. “Have a nice day.”

As he walked away, Martinez muttered, “You see the way he looked at me? Guy thinks he’s better than us.”

“Let it go,” Higgins sighed. “He’s not worth the paperwork.”
Patrick settled on another bench in a quieter part of the park. Before long, a group of teenagers on bikes rolled by. One of them, emboldened by his friends, called out, “Yo, you homeless or something?”
Patrick didn’t respond.

Another boy pulled out his phone. “Say something for the camera, man. Tell us your life story.”

Patrick’s voice was calm but firm. “You should get going. This isn’t a place for games.”

The teenagers hesitated. There was something about his tone, quiet but commanding, that made them rethink pushing further.

Then, the sound of a police cruiser pulling up nearby caught their attention.

Martinez stepped out first, eyes locking onto Patrick. “You again? Couldn’t find another park to loiter in?”

Patrick didn’t move. “Is sitting on a bench against the law now?”

Martinez’s jaw tightened. “You’ve got a smart mouth.”

“Good thing I’m not here to make friends.”

Higgins sighed, rubbing his temple. “Why are we back?”

“I don’t trust him,” Martinez muttered. “He’s up to something.”

Higgins shook his head. “You’re making something out of nothing.”

Martinez wasn’t listening. “What’s in the bag?”

Patrick held it out. Martinez peered inside—just an apple, a sandwich, and a bottle of water. Frustration flickered across his face.

“You got something else on you? Something you don’t want us to find?”

Patrick’s expression remained neutral. “I’ve got nothing to hide. But if you’re looking for trouble, I’m not the one you’ll find it with.”

Higgins sighed again. “Let’s go. We’ve got better things to do.”

Martinez hesitated, but eventually, he relented.

As the officers walked back to their cruiser, Patrick pulled out his phone. The live stream had been running all day. Millions had already seen everything.

When Martinez realized, his face went pale.

Patrick stood, finally revealing himself. “I’m Patrick Mahomes. I wanted to see how people like you treat those you think have nothing. And you showed the world exactly that.”

As news crews arrived, Martinez’s career unraveled. Internal Affairs took over. The video went viral, sparking national discussions on accountability.

Before leaving, Patrick scribbled a note and tucked it under the bench:

Samaje Perine stood up to greet Mahomes, but his QB seemingly left him hanging

Vibes weren’t high on the Kansas City Chiefs’ sideline during Super Bowl LIX as they were uncharacteristically blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, though, was spotted walking down the bench dapping up his teammates, trying to keep spirits high at a time when they were at their lowest all season.

However, Mahomes is being scrutinized for seemingly forgetting to shake hands with one of his running backs, Samaje Perine, as he went down the line.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine during a press conference in advance of Super Bowl LIX (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)

Perine had stood up, acting like he was going to shake hands with his quarterback, but Mahomes skipped him to talk to tight end Travis Kelce instead.

The video of Mahomes went viral after the 40-22 loss, with many wondering why he would pass up on Perine after going through the rest of his teammates.

Perine is a veteran in the NFL, playing his first year with the Chiefs in 2024 after spending time with the Washington Commanders, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos in prior seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)

Perine was used mainly in the pass game out of the backfield, hauling in 28 receptions for 322 yards and one touchdown for the Chiefs during the regular season. He had 92 rushing yards on 20 carries with a score as well.

Perine caught a pass from Mahomes in the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills, which sealed their victory and put them into their third straight Super Bowl.

While Mahomes never commented on what happened with forgetting Perine on the sideline after the game, he did post about the loss after the worst start of his career.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after Super Bowl LIX (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

“Appreciate all the love and support from #ChiefsKingdom. I let y’all down today. I’ll always continue to work and try and learn and be better for it. Want to give thanks to God for every opportunity he has given me. We will be back,” he wrote on X.