Patrick Mahomes Photobombed a Wedding—The Bride’s Reaction Went Viral

The greatest quarterback in football almost gave up on the sport at sixteen. Patrick Mahomes—the man who would one day win Super Bowls, break records, and become a global icon—once sat in his bedroom, tears in his eyes, writing a letter to himself. He had just been cut from his high school varsity football team. Everyone seemed to be laughing at him. He wanted to quit, to walk away from football forever.

But instead of quitting, young Patrick made four promises to himself. Promises so powerful that they would shape the next decades of his life. He sealed those promises in an envelope marked “Do not open until 2023” and hid it away, almost forgetting it existed.

Forty-four years later, in March 2023, a 60-year-old Patrick Mahomes found that envelope while packing boxes in his Texas home. His hands shook as he held the faded paper. Inside was a message from his teenage self—a message that explained everything: why he worked harder than anyone else, why he never accepted defeat, and why he spent years helping kids who got cut from their teams. The letter revealed that Patrick Mahomes’ greatest victory wasn’t a Super Bowl ring. It was keeping his word to a heartbroken boy who refused to give up.

This is the story of that letter—and how failure became the foundation for greatness.

The Day Everything Changed

At 16, Patrick Mahomes was a sophomore at Whitehouse High School in Texas. He dreamed of playing quarterback for the varsity team. He’d grown taller over the summer, his arm was stronger, and he’d spent hours throwing footballs in his backyard. Tryouts had gone well, he thought. But when the team list was posted, Patrick’s name wasn’t there. His best friend made the team, but Patrick did not.

The humiliation stung. He spent that night locked in his room. His mother, Randi, tried to comfort him through the door. His father, Pat, a former professional baseball player, sat outside and talked softly. “Son, sometimes our biggest failures become our greatest teachers,” he said. But Patrick didn’t want to hear it. He felt like he’d let everyone down.

That night, Patrick wrote in his journal: “November 15, 2011. Worst day of my life. Got cut from varsity football. Everyone knows. Everyone’s talking about it. I’m not good enough. Maybe I should quit.”

But he didn’t just write in his journal. Patrick also wrote a letter to his future self, pouring all his pain and hope onto the page. He sealed it, wrote “Do not open until 2023” on the front, and hid it in his desk.

A Chance Encounter

The next few weeks were miserable. Patrick played on the junior varsity team, but his heart wasn’t in it. He went through the motions, but he felt empty. One cold December afternoon, as he walked home with his head down, he heard the sound of a football being thrown on the old community field. He almost kept walking, but curiosity got the better of him.

On the field was a man in his forties, tall and athletic, with a gentle smile. “You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders,” the man called out. Patrick shrugged. “I’m just watching,” he said.

“I’m Marcus,” the man replied. “Want to throw some passes?”

Patrick hesitated, then joined him. They tossed the football back and forth, and after a while, Patrick opened up about getting cut, about wanting to quit. Marcus listened, then said, “You know, I got cut from my high school team, too. Twice. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t good enough—it just meant I wasn’t ready yet. There’s a difference. You can get better. The question is, are you going to let this define you, or drive you?”

For the first time in weeks, Patrick felt hope. That night, he wrote another letter, promising himself that he would outwork everyone, turn his pain into power, and someday help other kids who got cut.

The Comeback

From that day forward, Patrick changed. He woke up before dawn to practice. He studied game film, worked on his throws, and ran drills until his arms ached. He stopped caring what other people thought. Every time someone doubted him, he used it as fuel.

The next season, Patrick tried out for varsity again. This time, he was ready. He made the team and quickly became the starting quarterback. He led his team to the playoffs, broke school records, and caught the attention of college scouts. The boy who had been cut was gone. In his place was a young man who had turned rejection into fuel.

But Patrick never forgot that feeling of being left out, of not being good enough. It became his superpower—the thing that pushed him to keep working, even when he was the best.

The Letter Rediscovered

Years passed. Patrick Mahomes became a college football star at Texas Tech, then was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. He became an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl champion. He inspired millions. But he never forgot the promises he made as a teenager.

In 2023, while packing up his home, Patrick found the old envelope. With trembling hands, he opened it. The letter read:

“Dear Future Patrick,

I know you’re hurting right now. You got cut from the team, and it feels like the end of the world. But I’m making you some promises:

1. I will never let anyone outwork me.
2. I will turn this pain into power.
3. I will prove that getting cut was the best thing that ever happened to me.
4. When I’m famous someday, I’ll help other kids who get cut from their teams.

Never forget the boy who wasn’t ready yet. He’s the reason you’ll become great.

—Past Patrick”

Tears filled Patrick’s eyes. He realized he’d kept every promise. He’d outworked everyone, turned failure into fuel, and helped others along the way.

Passing It On

That spring, Patrick received a letter from a mother in Texas. Her son, Jamal, had just been cut from his middle school football team and was devastated. She asked if Patrick could send him a note.

Instead, Patrick drove to their house. He spent hours with Jamal, telling him about his own heartbreak, about the letter, and about the power of never giving up. Before he left, Patrick gave Jamal an old football—the one he’d practiced with after getting cut. “This football helped make me who I am,” he said. “Someday, give it to another kid who needs it.”

As Patrick drove home, he realized that his greatest victory wasn’t a Super Bowl or an MVP trophy. It was keeping a promise to his sixteen-year-old self—a promise to never give up, and to help others do the same.

How Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews’ Daughter Stole the Show During Wedding

Here comes the bride and her adorable daughter Sterling! Scroll on to learn more about the tot’s special entrance.

Something old, something new—and something totally cute.

That something cute would be Sterling, the daughter of Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews. The couple’s daughter seems to have wowed guests at their wedding in Maui, Hawaii, on March 12.

As seen in photos Brittany shared to Instagram on March 16, Sterling, 1, cruised down the aisle in something blue: a mini convertible. The photo series also showed off Sterling’s gown, which featured a white bow, feathers and lace.

“Having your daughter apart of your wedding, just hits different,” Brittany wrote. “I love you sister girl.”

Patrick, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, took to the comment section to gush over the photos of his daughter and wife on their special day. “My girls,” he wrote with three red heart emojis.

Fans also shared their thoughts on Sterling’s stylish ride. One user commented, “Her little car! So precious!” Another added, “..i think my heart just exploded..”

Brittany added the aww-worthy moment to her March 16 Instagram Story. She shared the snap of Sterling cruising in the mini car, while another special guest carried the flower girl basket. She wrote, “Sterling entered eating a cracker while EV did the hard work we love these besties.”

Brittany and Patrick’s intimate outdoor ceremony was overseen by event planner Mindy Weiss. On March 15, a source exclusively told E! News about their special day.

“Brittany and Patrick’s wedding day was very peaceful and fun,” the insider recalled. “They really did look so in love; they never left each other’s side.”

BACKGRID

Their nuptials come after Patrick proposed inside Arrowhead Stadium in September 2020. The pair, who are high school sweethearts, welcomed daughter Sterling in February 2021. Brittany shared the news on Instagram a day after her delivery with a photo of baby Sterling’s hand tightly grasped around her finger.

Now that we’ve seen these latest wedding day photos, Sterling definitely has us wrapped around her finger!