Mahomes: 'Truly is surreal' to play in 4th Super Bowl

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play in his fourth Super Bowl in only six years as a starting quarterback.

"You want to get to the Super Bowl. That's your ultimate goal, and to be able to be in my fourth one, it truly is surreal, and I just try to appreciate it every single time," Mahomes said at Super Bowl Opening Night, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.

"You don't even know if this will be your last, and I've been blessed to be in a lot with a great organization with a lot of great players around me, so I just try to maximize those opportunities."

The Chiefs are set to play in their second straight Super Bowl after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game last year. They would be the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to win consecutive Super Bowls with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Mahomes has won two Super Bowls since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2017. He could be the fifth starting quarterback in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowls with a win on Sunday, joining Troy Aikman (three), Terry Bradshaw (four), Joe Montana (four), and Tom Brady (seven).

However, the 28-year-old Mahomes said he isn't focused on passing Brady's Super Bowl record anytime soon.

"I'm not even close to halfway, so I haven't put a lot of thought into it," Mahomes said. "Your goal is to be the best player that you can be, and I know I'm blessed to be around a lot of great players."

"So right now, it's do whatever I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring. Then, if you ask me that question in 15 years, I'll see if I can get close to seven, but seven seems like a long ways away still."

The Texas Tech product had his fewest passing yards and touchdowns this season since 2019. However, he's elevated his play in the postseason, throwing for 718 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in three playoff games this year.