The gridiron’s most electrifying magician is plotting a new trick—one that could rewrite playbooks from Lubbock to Los Angeles. Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs’ sorcerer in cleats, has spent years bending NFL physics with no-look passes and Houdini-esque escapes. But his latest pivot—a potential Olympic flag football cameo in 2028—has fans buzzing like a halftime highlight reel. Yet, before he even considers dodging imaginary defenders in LA, Mahomes took a moment to hype a fellow Texas Tech legend: softball phenom Ni’Jaree Canady.

“Big time!! Let’s go! Finish strong!” Mahomes tweeted after Canady’s Texas Tech squad clinched a Super Regional berth. Those two words—“Finish strong”—weren’t just casual hype. They were a mic drop from a man who’s spent his career rewriting fourth-quarter lore. Canady, a human cheat code in the circle (career 0.66 ERA, 555 Ks), has been slinging heat so lethal, even Mahomes’ arm might blush. But this isn’t just a mutual admiration society—it’s a nod to shared Texas Tech DNA. Mahomes, who once torched Oklahoma for 819 total yards (‘casual’ NCAA record), and Canady, whose 24–7 sophomore season at Stanford redefined dominance, now orbit the same stratosphere: athletes so clutch, they make pressure sweat.

While Mahomes eyes Olympic glory, Canady’s rewriting softball’s financial playbook. Her $1 million NIL deal—the first in softball history—isn’t just a paycheck; it’s a seismic shift. Texas Tech’s Matador Club didn’t just invest in an arm; they backed a movement. And Mahomes, whose $5 million donation helped revamp Texas Tech’s stadium, gets it. His legacy isn’t just stats—it’s scaffolding for the next gen.

Canady’s 2025 numbers (28–5, 0.92 ERA) scream MVP, but her real power lies in moments like the Super Regional clincher against Mississippi State. Down to the wire, she stormed back to seal the deal—a closer’s mentality Mahomes would tip his helmet to. “Finish strong,” indeed.

Canady’s kingdom & Mahomes’ money moves

Flag football at the Olympics? For Mahomes, it’s less a pipe dream than a ‘side quest.’ “I definitely want to,” he admitted in Frankfurt, Germany, before adding with a grin, “But I’ve seen some of those guys play… They’re a little faster than I am.” Cue the humility—a trait as rare as a Mahomes interception. At 32 in 2028, he’d swap armored linemen for open-field sprints, trading tackle-breaking grit for flag-pulling finesse. “If I can still move around then,” he teased, “I’m going to try to get out there.”

The NFL’s ‘one player per team’ Olympic rule turns this into a ‘Moneyball’ challenge: assemble a Dream Team without poaching entire rosters. Imagine Mahomes flinging rainbows to Tyreek Hill (again), or Lamar Jackson zig-zagging like a ‘Fortnite’ skin come to life. But flag football’s OGs aren’t handing out free passes. “I think the adjustment will be the football field, so timing of routes, defenders covering. The game is not as physical, so that’ll be another thing that the NFL guys will have to learn — and the hand-eye coordination of pulling flags.” warns U.S. flag QB Darrell Doucette. Translation: Mahomes’ backyard magic won’t fly without mastering the art of the 50-yard dash.

Mahomes vs. flag football? It’s ‘Mario Kart’ meets the West Coast offense—a wildcard even he can’t fully map. But if anyone can turn a 50-yard dash into poetry, it’s the guy who made “no-look” a verb. Meanwhile, Canady’s rise—from Palo Alto prodigy to Lubbock legend—mirrors Mahomes’ own Tech-to-titan journey. Together, they’re proof that greatness isn’t a solo act; it’s a relay.

As the 2028 Games loom, one thing’s clear: whether on clay or turf, under Friday night lights or Olympic flares, the mantra remains the same. “Finish strong.” Because in sports, as in life, the encore is always worth the hype.