It’s tough to believe that a Texas kid, Patrick Mahomes, grew up hours from a stadium that he never played in. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, had never played a game at AT&T Stadium as a pro until Thanksgiving 2025. Even Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees couldn’t believe it.

“Hard to believe this is Patrick Mahomes’ first game in Texas Stadium since he’s been a pro!” Drew Brees wrote on his Instagram. “Always meaningful for the guys who played Texas high school Football! Thanksgiving 🦃 & Football 🏈”

Mahomes had conquered Arrowhead in January snowstorms, won Super Bowls coast to coast, and even played in Germany and Mexico. But AT&T Stadium always felt out of reach. The schedule just never aligned until now.

Growing up in Whitehouse, Texas, Mahomes made that drive countless times with his dad and brother. They’d sneak down from the upper deck to the lower level where players walked onto the field.

“I don’t know if that’s allowed,” Mahomes laughed. “But it was really cool, just making memories with my dad, my brother, and stuff like that.”

The Dallas Cowboys became his team. His dad loved them, so naturally, Patrick did too. “There’s a lot of good times watching those games with my family,” he said. “So it’s definitely gonna be surreal being able to play them at the stadium I watched them play at a lot.”

For the matchup, both teams sat at 5-5-1 (Cowboys) and 6-5 (Chiefs), desperate for momentum heading into the playoff push. Despite the end result, for the most part, Mahomes delivered.

261 passing yards, four touchdown passes, pure magic with his legs for 30 yards on 3 carries, escaping pressures all night, Mahomes did it all. The Chiefs jumped ahead early. Cornerback Jaylen Watson picked off Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on the opening drive, setting up a 27-yard touchdown strike to wideout Rashee Rice. But Dallas clawed back late, and KC lost it with a field goal from Dallas just as the regulation time ended.

The blunt reality hit hard. At 6-6, the Chiefs’ playoff hopes now hang by a thread.

“You’ve got to win every game now, and hope that’s enough,” Mahomes said after the 31-28 loss. “If we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re going to have to win them all.”

But there was another layer to this homecoming. The last time Patrick Mahomes played at AT&T Stadium, it wasn’t as an NFL Superstar. It was as a freshman at Texas Tech, still trying to prove he belonged.

When Patrick Mahomes announced himself

November 29, 2014. Exactly eleven years before this Thanksgiving return, Mahomes faced Baylor at AT&T Stadium and lit up the scoreboard with video game numbers. 598 yards, and six touchdowns. Texas Tech had fallen by 25 points in the second half. Most freshmen would’ve folded. But not Patrick Mahomes.

“I was a freshman in college. It was kind of like my shot to prove that I can be the starting quarterback the next year,” Mahomes recalled. “We were playing a really good football team, but we were able to rally back and came up with a two-point conversion short.”

Despite the 48-46 loss, that performance set a Big 12 freshman record. It was the first glimpse of the now iconic Mahomes magic. The same holiday weekend, different stakes, and the same old stage.

The Chiefs fell short again, just like that 2014 Texas Tech game. But Patrick Mahomes showed up. For a Texas kid finally playing at home on Thanksgiving, that meant everything.

The Kansas City Chiefs now turn their attention to the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium, a game that offers a chance to regain momentum. With the playoffs still very much in reach but their probability sitting at 39 percent, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs know a win is critical. A strong performance at home not only bolsters confidence but also sets the tone for the remaining stretch, keeping their postseason hopes alive.