Patrick Mahomes enters Thanksgiving week with momentum, but there is a major concern he can’t ignore. Coming off a huge win over the Colts, Kansas City will be facing the Dallas Cowboys next. But before the Thanksgiving clash, the Chiefs’ quarterback has now been issued a warning from a familiar face in East Texas.

Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown made the rivalry’s stakes very clear with a five-word message ahead of the much-anticipated matchup:

”I got to, it’s mandatory,” Overshown said on facing

Thursday’s game is more than Cowboys vs. Chiefs; it’s a personal rivalry between two East Texas natives, who share the same 903 area code. Patrick Mahomes was born in Tyler, starred at Whitehouse High School, and will face Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who was also born in Tyler and raised just 20 minutes away in Arp.

”East Texas been talking about it since the schedule popped up. It’s 903. We going at it, somebody got to win it,” as Overshown mentioned.

Overshown remembers Mahomes visiting his elementary school. His brother Jackson and cousin Emma were Overshown’s classmates.

“I know the Mahomes real well, that family real well,” he said.

He always believed he’d either play with Mahomes or against him, and now, on Thanksgiving, he gets his shot.

The timing of this challenge is less than ideal for Mahomes. The Chiefs head into the week sore, banged up, and operating on a week with very little recovery time after their overtime win against Indianapolis. Kansas City players limped into the building, dealing with a late-season push and a short turnaround.

Meanwhile, Overshown is finally getting back to his full self just in time to meet Mahomes. The third-year linebacker made his 2025 season debut in Week 11 after nearly a year lost to a knee injury. Dallas simultaneously made over its defense, debuting Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson, along with getting back CB Shavon Revel Jr.

”Oh yeah. It’s always fun when you’re kicking other people’s asses. You never want to get away from that. That’s a part of the game,” Overshown said.

Overshown had a tackle for loss against the Raiders and five tackles against the Eagles, showing improved comfort on his surgically repaired knee. And now he gets the quarterback he grew up watching in the hallways of Whitehouse High.

On the other hand, Patrick Mahomes sees this as a mental challenge for a banged-up Kansas City.

“I think it speaks to the people that we have in this locker room,” Mahomes said. “They want to win, and they want to leave it all out there. Everybody’s banged up at this time of the year, but you have to be able to fight through that and play your best football.”

That unfortunate update didn’t stop with Overshown’s warning for the Chiefs.

Andy Reid’s before the Cowboys clash

Andy Reid on Tuesday confirmed that star running back Isiah Pacheco will return for the Thanksgiving game. However, the Chiefs could be without tight end Noah Gray and standout guard Trey Smith, who are out with ankle injuries.

Not having Smith is the most damaging potential loss. The Chiefs already have to deal with the Dallas pass rush that’s playing its best football of the year, and Smith is one of their better interior protectors. Having to go up against Williams, Wilson, and a rejuvenated Overshown without him ramps up the degree of difficulty considerably.

Reid also added that receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice will play after both briefly left last week’s game in Indianapolis with hamstring tightness. That makes Mahomes’ entire receiving corps available for a game that could determine the Chiefs’ playoff viability.

Now the Chiefs must win again, on the road, on a short week, against a Dallas team peaking at the perfect time. And waiting for Mahomes, with memories of Tyler and Whitehouse and elementary school visits, is Overshown, more confident, more explosive, and more determined than ever.