Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Patrick Mahomes Balances Family Time Amid Sporting Kansas City Turmoil
While his Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Sporting Kansas City, navigates a challenging period, Patrick Mahomes, part-owner of the club, enjoyed a relaxed weekend with his family. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, known for his on-field prowess in the NFL, appeared carefree in social media posts even as his soccer franchise faced fan unrest and the subsequent dismissal of its long-tenured coach.
Family Outing at Ice Show
Brittany Mahomes, his wife, shared a snapshot on social media platform showcasing Patrick Mahomes at an ice skating show with their children, Sterling and Bronze. The image, posted on Monday, depicted Bronze comfortably seated on his father’s lap. The caption accompanying the picture read, ‘Enjoying the ice show yesterday, Bronze had the best vantage point.’
Sporting Kansas City Faces Setbacks
However, the leisure of Sunday gave way to pressing business matters on Monday as Sporting Kansas City, the MLS team co-owned by Mahomes, announced the termination of head coach Peter Vermes, who had been at the helm for an extended period.
Coaching Change Follows Poor Start to Season
Sporting Kansas City’s decision to part ways with Vermes comes after a disappointing start to the current MLS season. The team has endured five defeats and managed only a single draw in their initial six matches. Languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the ownership group deemed a change in leadership necessary, ending Vermes’s reign which began in 2009.
Fan Pressure Mounts
The action taken by Mahomes and the ownership consortium follows a strongly worded public letter from ‘The Cauldron,’ a prominent Sporting KC supporters group. The fan collective voiced their discontent and explicitly called for Vermes’s removal, stating that ‘the team has become stagnant, its ambitions diminished, and its performance deteriorated.’
Fanbase Demands Accountability
Vermes’s final match was a 2-1 defeat against FC Dallas on Saturday. Despite Vermes losing his position, some supporters believe that the issues extend beyond the head coach alone.
Patrick Mahomes with his children at an ice show over the weekend.
Sporting Kansas City, the MLS franchise Mahomes co-owns, faced calls for the coach’s dismissal from fans.
Peter Vermes was subsequently dismissed as head coach on Monday, a role he had occupied since 2009.
Ownership Group Challenged
Addressing Mahomes and fellow owners – the Patterson Family, the Illig Family, Greg Maday, Pat Curran, and Robb Heineman – the fan letter further asserted: ‘To the ownership group, the onus to act rests with you.’
The letter continued, ‘You must decide whether Sporting KC will remain satisfied as a shadow of past triumphs or strive to regain its status as a dominant force.’
‘The era of decisions based on loyalty has concluded. We insist on accountability. We demand ambition. We demand transformation.’
Interim Manager Appointed
The message from the fanbase was clearly acknowledged. Upon confirming Vermes’s departure on Monday, the club announced that Kerry Zavagnin, a long-serving assistant coach, would assume the role of interim manager.
Future Direction Uncertain
It now remains to be seen whether Mahomes’ influence within the sports world can attract a prominent figure to take charge of his MLS team and guide them to a more favorable position in the Western Conference.
Mahomes’ Broader Sports Investments
Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes are also co-owners of the Kansas City Current, a professional women’s soccer team.
Messi’s Visit to Kansas City
Last MLS season, Mahomes witnessed Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest soccer player of all time, when Sporting KC hosted Inter Miami at Arrowhead Stadium.
During the match at the Kansas City Chiefs’ home venue, Messi scored an impressive goal, leading Miami to a 3-2 victory.
Sporting Kansas City currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with five losses and one draw in the 2025 season.
NFL Offseason and Speculation
Mahomes is currently in the NFL offseason. He has generated considerable buzz with workout videos shared on social media platforms during his downtime.
These videos have led Kansas City Chiefs fans to speculate whether Mahomes is aiming to shed the ‘dad bod’ he has jokingly referenced – and previously suggested was beneficial for a quarterback – particularly after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss in February.
Super Bowl Defeat
The Chiefs were close to achieving an unprecedented ‘three-peat’ but were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans, with a final score of 40-22.