Patrick Mahomes gets ‘great appreciation’ for playing in AFC Championship Game

Since taking over at starting quarterback in 2018, Patrick Mahomes has helped lead the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game every year.

Including Sunday’s upcoming game with Buffalo, six of those conference championship games have been played in Kansas City.

It’s a historic run of success. And even though the Chiefs have also won three of the last five Super Bowls — playing in four of them — Mahomes told reporters during his news conference Thursday that he’s not taking the NFL Final Four for granted.

“I have a great appreciation just for the process of reaching here,” Mahomes said. “I talk about it with some of the younger ones. I mean, some of these guys, all they’ve ever known is Super Bowls. I mean, obviously, it’s a good problem to have, but I like – I make sure that they know and appreciate this moment and to have this opportunity because it doesn’t happen every year. It seems like this has happened every year here, but you don’t get that opportunity to play in these games and you never know when it will be your last.

“You have to go out there and maximize it and you enjoyed it because even if – even if you win the Super Bowl, you start at the bottom again, you start back with everyone and you have to go through your process and put this work. It’s definitely a battle every year. Every season is different and you enjoy being in this game and you just try to find a way to maximize it and try to move on to that next one. “

Even with the appreciation of his arrival at the conference championship, the outcome of the game produces high highs or low lows.

“(I)ust as much as it feels great to win, it sucks to lose,” Mahomes said. “I mean, you just try to go out there and put your best foot forward. You try to do everything you can to give everything you have on the football field and then you live with the results. At the same time, you – you prepare throughout the week, you sacrifice things, you sacrifice time away from family to go out there and be the best player and the best teammate that you can be and hopefully It turns into a win.”

Mahomes and the Chiefs will attempt to make a third straight Super Bowl on Sunday night.