“Patrick Mahomes Called ‘Fat’? Outrageous Rant Exposes the Madness of Body Shaming in Sports”

On a sunlit July afternoon, the world got a glimpse of Patrick Mahomes as few had seen him before—not on the field, helmet gleaming, eyes scanning for a receiver, but relaxing on a yacht, celebrating Independence Day with his wife and friends. The photos, posted on Instagram by his wife Brittany, showed the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback shirtless in board shorts, laughing and enjoying the summer. For most fans, the reaction was simple: Mahomes looked like a young, healthy, successful athlete unwinding after another grueling NFL season.

But for one sports radio host, the photos became fodder for a rant that revealed just how distorted our culture’s view of bodies—especially those of elite athletes—has become.

“Vacation photos are popping up of Patrick Mahomes, and he’s fat,” declared Kevin Keitzman, a Kansas City radio personality. “I’m gonna say it, and I’m gonna tell you the truth, that’s why you hit the play button, he’s an embarrassment.”

The rant didn’t stop there. Keitzman continued, “You’re a $500 million quarterback, you’ve made all these comments in the offseason that ‘We’re gonna do our talking on the field, we got our butts kicked in the Super Bowl, we’re coming back with a vengeance.’ Dude, you’re fat. Your belly would be fat at my pool, hanging out with us, 60-year-olds. My skin is flabbier than yours, I get it. Stop. Stop the fast food. Do a sit-up. Do something.”

It was a moment that crystallized the strange and sometimes toxic intersection of sports, celebrity, and body image in modern culture.

The Reality of Mahomes’ Body

Let’s be clear: in the photos that triggered this outburst, Mahomes looked nothing like the stereotype of “fat.” He didn’t look like a chiseled bodybuilder, either—but that’s not what makes a great quarterback. Mahomes looked like what he is: a young, strong, fit man, one who has played in five Super Bowls, won three, and redefined the position with his creativity and toughness.

For most fans, the first thought on seeing the photos wasn’t about Mahomes’ waistline, but about his lifestyle. “Patrick Mahomes has a yacht! I’m jealous,” one fan joked on social media. The notion that Mahomes’ body was somehow an “embarrassment” seemed laughable to anyone who’d watched him scramble out of the grasp of 300-pound linemen or fire a 50-yard pass on the run.

Body Shaming and the “Aesthetics” Trap

But Keitzman’s comments are part of a broader trend that’s been growing for years. The rise of “aesthetics” culture—driven by social media, influencer fitness, and endless comparison—has warped our understanding of what a healthy, high-performing body actually looks like. For young men, especially, the pressure to have six-pack abs and perfectly defined muscles is relentless.

It’s not just athletes who are affected. The phrase “no fats, no fems” was once a common, cruel refrain in gay dating profiles, a symptom of the same obsession with a narrow, unrealistic ideal. Now, the same kind of thinking is bleeding into mainstream sports discourse, where even elite athletes are scrutinized for not looking like fitness models.

Yet the idea that a six-pack is a prerequisite for athletic greatness is demonstrably false. Just look at the 2024 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Few of their players would be mistaken for bodybuilders, but they’re world-class athletes all the same.

 
From left, pitchers Brent Honeywell #40, Blake Treinen #49, Walker Buehler #21, Anthony Banda #43, infielders Gavin Lux #9 and Max Muncy #13, pitchers Tyler Glasnow #31 and Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers light cigars as they celebrate after winning the NL West Division defeating the San Diego Padres, 7-2, at Dodger Stadium on September 26, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Every Sport, Every Body

Every sport has its own ideal body type. Swimmers, gymnasts, and wrestlers often have lean, defined builds. Football linemen, rugby players, and powerlifters rely more on bulk and raw strength. Quarterbacks like Mahomes fall somewhere in between. They need strength, endurance, agility, and, above all, the ability to withstand hits from some of the biggest, fastest athletes on the planet.

Consider Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. At 6’5″ and 238 pounds, Allen is built more like a linebacker than a model. He’s one of the most successful quarterbacks in the league. Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis, on the other hand, looks like he could grace the cover of a fitness magazine, but that hasn’t translated into on-field success—he’s currently a backup.

The lesson? Muscular definition and visible abs are not the keys to greatness. The NFL is filled with players whose bodies don’t fit the Instagram ideal, but whose talent and toughness make them legends.

Mahomes and the “Dad Bod”

Mahomes himself has joked about his “dad bod,” acknowledging that he could eat better and stay in better shape as he chases Tom Brady’s record of seven Super Bowl wins. But he also knows what really matters: performance on the field, not how you look in a swimsuit.

The Chiefs’ organization certainly isn’t worried about Mahomes’ physique. They’re focused on his leadership, his arm, his vision, and his unshakeable confidence under pressure. As long as Mahomes keeps delivering championships, his body will be exactly what it needs to be.

Why We Body Shame

So why do comments like Keitzman’s strike such a nerve? Maybe it’s because, deep down, many of us struggle with our own body image. We project our insecurities onto celebrities and athletes, judging them by impossible standards because we fear being judged ourselves.

Or maybe it’s because we’ve been conditioned by decades of advertising and social media to equate visible abs with health, happiness, and success. The truth is far more complex. Health comes in many shapes and sizes. Athletic greatness is measured in wins, not waistlines.

The Real Embarrassment

If there’s an embarrassment here, it’s not Mahomes’ body—it’s the way we talk about bodies at all. It’s the idea that someone can be the best in the world at what they do and still be torn down for not looking a certain way. It’s the notion that a radio host can go on a public platform and insult someone’s appearance, and that anyone would take it seriously.

Letting Mahomes Be Mahomes

In the end, the Chiefs will ignore Keitzman’s rant, and so should we. Mahomes will keep doing what he does best—winning. He’ll keep inspiring kids who look up to him, not because of his abs, but because of his heart, his talent, and his relentless drive to be great.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Or, in Mahomes’ case, in the touchdowns, the Super Bowls, and the legacy he’s building—one play, one game, one season at a time.

Let Patrick Mahomes have his yacht, his July 4th, and yes, even his “dad bod.” He’s earned it. And maybe, just maybe, we can all learn to appreciate greatness in all its forms—on the field and off.