The longevity of Patrick Mahomes’ NFL career will depend on one thing.
The Chiefs quarterback, who is fresh off his second consecutive Super Bowl title and third title overall, explained in a new interview with TIME that his playing future will be contingent on his family.
“I’ve looked, if I played until [retired quarterback] Tom [Brady]’s age, my daughter [Sterling Skye, 3] would be 19, 20 years old,” said Mahomes, who has been named one of the 2024 TIME 100 Most Influential People.
“…I would love to play that long … At the same time, I want to be there for my daughter.
“If I can do that, I’ll continue to play. But if I feel like it’s taking away from my family time, that’s when I’ll know it’s time to go.”
In addition to daughter Sterling, the future Hall of Famer and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, share a son, Patrick “Bronze” Lavon Mahomes III, who was born on Nov. 28, 2022.
Brady, who played for 23 seasons and won seven Super Bowls, hung up his jersey for good at the age of 45 in February 2023.
However, the 46-year-old Brady recently said he is “not opposed” to a potential NFL return if a quarterback went down with an injury this season and a team came calling.
Beyond football, playing in MLB could also potentially be part of Mahomes’ future.
“I’ve talked to the Royals … And if I can maybe go out to a spring training, I’m not opposed to that,” said Mahomes, whose father, Patrick Mahomes Sr., played 11 seasons in the big leagues, including two with the Mets from 1999 to 2000.
“I’ll get it approved by the Chiefs and everything like that. But maybe one of these years I go out there and see what I got. See if I can still hit the ball or pitch or whatever that is. Maybe not in the game but I can at least practice with them.”
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Mahomes grew up around baseball and had success as a pitcher and as a dynamic shortstop in Little League for his Tyler, Texas, team.
He represented the club in the 2010 Junior League Baseball World Series Championship game when he was 14, standing at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid addressed the idea of Mahomes potentially taking his talents to MLB, a la famous two-way MLB and NFL stars like Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson.
“I haven’t even thought about that … You’re hitting me with a pretty big one right there … He was a heck of a baseball player … He grew up around it,” Reid told TIME. “I’m sure he can play in the Major Leagues. I mean, he’s pretty gifted … He’d have to take me as a manager.”
Mahomes was a star three-sport athlete in high school, during which he played football, basketball and baseball.
He once threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts while going 3-for-4 from the plate against Mount Pleasant High School in East Texas, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Mahomes Sr. previously said his son threw 97 mph on the mound and thought he would go on to play baseball.
He instead played football at Texas Tech from 2014-16.
The two-time NFL MVP emphasized to TIME that he is focused on building a dynasty like no other in Kansas City.
“At the end of my time, I just want to say that I didn’t leave anything out there … That I didn’t practice hard enough. That I didn’t watch enough film. My family and football are the first things I want to be great at,” he said. “If I can go out there and say that I gave everything I had on the football field, expectations are what they are and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. And I can be satisfied with that.”
TIME will reveal the full list of its Most Influential People on Wednesday.
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