Red Flags For Brittany And Patrick Mahomes' Marriage That Have Us Worried

On game day, most football fans are closely watching the ball and waiting for a touchdown. But when the Kansas City Chiefs are playing, there's something else that might grab their attention: the chemistry between quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife — who's always watching from the stands — Brittany Mahomes.

The couple are known to share power PDA on the field, but those familiar with the pair know that their love story began far before Patrick's NFL career. The football player and Brittany, a personal trainer and former pro soccer player, first started dating in high school. After graduation, they attended different colleges and nurtured their separate athletic careers yet stayed together. In 2022, they solidified their commitment by getting married, and the Mahomes have since expanded their family by welcoming two children together.

Between celebrating game wins and posting family pics on social media, Brittany and Patrick seem to be the perfect couple. However, a red flag emerged in November 2023 when ESPN captured footage of the quarterback appearing to wipe off a kiss from his wife. We dug deeper into the celebrity romance and found other red flags that could spell trouble for the couple's future.

We've all heard of the ill-fated celebrity couple who get married mere months after meeting, only to quickly dissolve their relationship soon after. Rushing into commitment might not be wise, but delaying marriage — as Brittany and Patrick Mahomes did — can signal doubt. "Couples that take a very long time to decide to marry may be hesitating for a good reason," Arielle Kuperberg, an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and a senior scholar at the Council on Contemporary Families, told The Cut, "or feel pressured to enter marriage with someone they aren't entirely compatible with because they have been dating for so long."

According to Kuperberg's observations, the most successful couples generally wed no later than the four or five-year mark. As for the Mahomes, they waited an entire decade to walk down the aisle. Moreover, they were already (secretly) expecting their first child at the time of Patrick's proposal, a pregnancy that Brittany later called an "'oh s**t' moment" in an Instagram Q&A, per People. While we can't know exactly what motivated the pair to finally say "I do," it's possible the decision was spurred on by the unexpected pregnancy and the pressure to cement their relationship.

The effects of jealousy in a relationship can be toxic, a struggle that Brittany Mahomes seems to know all too well. According to People, a fan on Instagram asked the retired soccer star how she deals with the women who pursue Patrick Mahomes. Brittany wrote in the Story, "Lol it's actually really sad how disrespectful some women are... But they are a [waste] of my time & not going to disturb my peace." She continued, "BUT I did use to have a very hard time and get extremely annoyed. But I am now to a point where I could care less!"

Brittany's honest admission is relatable, and her attempts to get the green-eyed monster under control show growth. Still, if feelings of jealousy continue to linger beneath the surface, it could be a red flag for the Mahomes' marriage. PsychCentral explains that jealousy can show up as possessiveness, trust issues, lack of boundaries, and other toxic relationship behaviors. Over time, the emotion can erode a marriage, even if infidelity never occurs. To ensure jealousy doesn't get the best of her, Brittany should keep her focus on her relationship with Patrick and any underlying insecurities she may be facing rather than the competition from other women.

It's no secret that Patrick Mahomes has an intense job, and sometimes, his work gets prioritized over his marriage. During a February 2023 NFL interview, the busy football player admitted he forgot Valentine's Day was approaching. Considering he once got Brittany Mahomes a puppy for the holiday, as reported by Us Weekly, it's unlikely that the couple doesn't celebrate V-Day. Instead, the quarterback may have been so caught up in his career that the romantic day took a backseat.

Work has also seeped into the Mahomes' marriage in another major way: The pair owns a soccer team together. In early 2023, Patrick announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he had joined his wife as a co-owner of KC Current. "She and the Longs have done an incredible job building a world-class organization, and I am excited to join another championship-caliber club as it continues to make history," he wrote in the post.

Owning a soccer team together may sound sweet, but their work dynamic could interfere with their personal lives down the line. And if they run into professional disagreements, they may find it harder to get along privately too. As psychologist Dr. Yvonne Thomas shared with The Zoe Report, "Many have trouble separating the business relationship —putting away that professional side at the end of the day and focusing on the romantic side. The ideal balance can be reached, but it's not necessarily going to be perfect."

Brittany and Patrick Mahomes may try to keep an us-against-the-world front when dealing with haters, but it can be hard when one person receives more criticism than the other. Between the athletic duo, Brittany tends to attract far more disapproval than her hubby. For instance, there was a time when social media commenters slammed the soccer player for spraying champagne on NFL fans. Then there were the claims of her being racist when she wrongly guessed that Patrick's favorite food was fried chicken. Even her Instagram captions are constantly under scrutiny, like the time fans made fun of her for writing "NYC" alongside a photo actually taken in New Jersey.

Bullying can be hard for anyone to cope with, but to make matters worse, some critics pit Brittany and Patrick against each other. Online, spectators suggest that Brittany is bringing Patrick down and that the NFL star is the likable one while his wife only creates drama. Controversial podcaster Joe Rogan even insinuated that Brittany would "come after" her husband if the pair divorced on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience."

The constant praise for one partner and criticism for the other is a worrying sign, no matter how groundless the public's insults may be. Even if the Mahomes are happy behind the scenes, constantly having to defend their relationship and prevail over the hate can be stressful for any couple, especially one as famous as they are.

A perfectly equal, 50/50 relationship is pretty much impossible to achieve. With that said, too much imbalance can pave the way for a one-sided relationship. As clinical psychologist Dr. Scott Bea explained to Cleveland Clinic, a one-sided relationship is "any relationship where it feels like the effort, energy and tasks are imbalanced, and where one feels as though there's not a reciprocity that they would necessarily like."

If you pay close attention to Brittany and Patrick Mahomes' marriage, there are signs that could indicate an asymmetric relationship. Compare the couple's social media content: Brittany's Instagram profile is filled with photos of her supporting her beau at games and posing alongside him in smiley pics. Patrick's Instagram, on the other hand, has a healthy mix of family snaps, professional photos, and shots of him golfing. Sure, social media can't tell the whole story, but the lack of solo pics on B's account could signal a lack of individuality.

A similar pattern can be spotted in the way the pair talked about their marriage in GQ Sports' Couples Quiz. The two revealed that one of Brittany's strengths is keeping Patrick's life together for him. Unsurprisingly, the soccer player also answered far more questions correctly about Patrick than he did about her. If Brittany is satisfied with the imbalance, the couple might not be doomed. But if either partner feels unfulfilled, it could lead to resentment and more conflict later.