Speaking to former Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith on Sirius, the current Chiefs signal caller revealed he’s incapable of spending more than a couple of days with the All Pro tight end. And like most off-season conversations in the NFL, this anecdote revolves around golf.

‘He gets me off my game,’ Mahomes said of playing celebrity golf tournaments with Kelce. ‘By Day 3 I’m like, I can’t be with him for more than two days.’

Mahomes did not elaborate, but Kelce has been known to overindulge

Kelce and Mahomes did vacation together this offseason with their significant others, Swift and Brittany, but the quarterback was conspicuously absent from this year’s American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament at Lake Tahoe.

Mahomes said Kelce is a bad influence, but the two have taken trips together 

And as Mahomes explained to Smith, whom he succeeded atop Andy Reid’s depth chart in 2018, that decision was strategic.

‘It’s actually gotten pretty good – I’m not gonna lie,’ Mahomes said of his golf game. ‘My goal was to take an offseason off of all the tournaments and I’m coming back next year with a vengeance.’

Mahomes wasn’t being too brash. He admits he’s ‘not gonna win Tahoe’ – an event he’s participated in four times, most recently finishing 62nd in 2023.

But the Chiefs’ $450 million man does have resources at his disposal, which allowed him to build a Par 3 hole in his back yard.

‘My short game has gotten better,’ said Mahomes, adding that he’s ‘still yet to hit a hole in one on that hole.

‘It’s 130 yards,’ he continued. ‘I’ve gotten it close. I’ve hit a thousand minimum golf balls and never got one in.’

Even Mahomes’ children are getting in on the action, although he admits they’re still primarily interested in the sand trap.

‘The bunker has become a big sand box for the kids,’ Mahomes said, adding both kids are swinging and he hopes to turn them into legitimate golfers if wife Brittany allows.

‘Tried to threaten Brittany – because she doesn’t like to golf – I said, ‘you know, one day I’m gonna take the kids and we’re gonna go golf, and she said ”please do.”

Best of all, Mahomes explained, the children have been enthusiastically helping him retrieve golf balls.

Whereas a ball cart allows golfers to reload quickly on the driving range, Mahomes has instead coaxed daughter Sterling and son Bronze into competing against each other for their father’s approval.

‘I’ve gotten smart as a dad,’ Mahomes said. ‘We get down there: ‘Who gets the most golf balls?!’