Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Patrick Mahomes isn’t refusing to play over the Kansas City Chiefs’ name
If Your Time is short
-
The claim came from a known parody account. It’s not true.
A Facebook image claimed that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won’t play until the team changes its name.
The July 25 post said, "Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has left training camp and says he will ‘not play another down in the NFL’ until the team changes their name."
This is not true.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The image on Facebook was of a tweet posted by a parody Twitter account, known to tweet out fake sports news. This account has impersonated other sports writers before and tweeted out falsehoods that have even fooled sports journalists, with one alleging that a football player wouldn’t listen to advice from his teammate since the teammate supported former President Donald Trump.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
In a reply to the original tweet about Mahomes, the author then fabricated a quote purportedly from a press conference where Mahomes said he was disgusted with himself for playing on a team with a racist name.
The link to the press conference led to a parody video.A few days later the same account referred to this tweet and said, "Reminder that a large majority of the people who fell for this tweet are allowed to vote."
Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl LIV in 2020, and signed a historic $503 million contract later that year.
The Chiefs are named after former mayor of Kansas City, Mo., Harold Roe Bartle, who was nicknamed "Chief" and helped persuade the team’s owner to move the team from Dallas to Kansas City in 1963. But they and other sports teams at all levels have come under pressure to stop using Native American names, mascots and other imagery.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball during practice June 3, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP)
Featured Fact-check
Chiefs President Mark Donovan said at a July 26 news conference that the Chiefs would keep their name. The Chiefs have been collaborating for over seven years with the American Indian Working Group to "gain a better understanding of issues for ourselves, while identifying ways to create an awareness and understanding of American Indian cultures," according to the team’s website.
The news conference came days after baseball’s Cleveland Indians officially announced that they would be renamed the Cleveland Guardians. In response to racial justice protests last summer, the NFL’s Washington franchise adopted the name Washington Football Team until it could settle on a new one .
A Facebook post said that Mahomes left training camp and would ‘not play another down in the NFL’ until the team changes its name.
That’s not true. The tweet shown in the post came from a parody account.
In subsequent tweets, the author implied it was a joke and linked to a parody video.
We rate this claim Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Sports Illustrated, Patrick Mahomes signs 10-Year, $503 Million Contract Extension with Kansas City Chiefs, July 6, 2020
CNN, These teams faced pressure to change their Native American names. Here's what's happened since. Dec. 14, 2020
ABC News, NFL's Washington Redskins to change name following years of backlash, July 13, 2020
YouTube, Cleveland Guardians team name press conference, July 23, 2021
Sports Illustrated, Cleveland Guardians: Meaning, reason, history of new name, July 23, 2021
CNN, How the Kansas City Chiefs got their name, and why it's so controversial, Feb. 1, 2020
Kansas CIty Star, KC Chiefs retiring Warpaint Native American horse tradition, July 26, 2021
CNN, Kansas City Chiefs plan to keep nickname but retire mascot 'Warpaint', July 27, 2021
Kansas City Chiefs, Celebrating American Indian Heritage, accessed July 28, 2021
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Jason Asenso
Patrick Mahomes isn’t refusing to play over the Kansas City Chiefs’ name
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.