KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a stinging answer for Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who upon learning that his own QB Joe Burrow had picked Mahomes as the league's best replied: “Pat who?”
“That's who,” Mahomes posted on social media Thursday night, along with a photo of him flashing his new Super Bowl ring.
Or more accurately, that's two.
Mahomes picked up his first ring in 2020 by leading the Chiefs to a victory over the 49ers, then added a second in February when he led Kansas City to a come-from-behind win over the Eagles. But unlike the first triumph, which came as the pandemic was beginning, the Chiefs were able to thoroughly enjoy the spoils of the latest with a ring ceremony Thursday night.
The red-carpet affair in Kansas City was closed to reporters, but Mahomes and others were happy to send out photographs. And in the case of the Chiefs' burgeoning rivals, they were willing to take a couple of shots at Chase and the Bengals.
“That's what you work for, to win the Super Bowl and get those rings,” Mahomes said. “They last a lifetime. To be able to see them, I know they've done a great job with them. I got to help out a little bit with the creating process. They did a great job.”
The rings were made by Jostens and each contains 613 diamonds along with 35 rubies for a total of 16.1 carats.
And like most Super Bowl rings these days, there were plenty of hidden meanings in the design.
Front and center are the organization's three Lombardi Trophies, each with a marquise diamond set atop. The trophies are set against a backdrop of 19 rubies and 38 diamonds, which reflects both the 38 points the Chiefs scored in the Super Bowl and the 57th edition of the game. In the middle of it all is the Chiefs' logo, which itself is comprised of 16 rubies — the number of division titles for the franchise — and 50 diamonds to reflect the 50th anniversary of Arrowhead Stadium.
Elsewhere, the 16 baguette diamonds at the base represent the 16 players that scored a touchdown in the regular season; 54 diamonds across the top represent the total number of points the Chiefs had to overcome in their two most recent title runs; and each player's name is engraved in gold along with a row of 13 diamonds.
The ring also features a removable top so the thing can turn into a pendant that looks like Arrowhead Stadium.
“They're pretty cool," Mahomes said. “They did a great job. I hadn't gotten to see the final product, but I got to see kind of the process of it and gave some ideas and stuff like that. They did a great job. Like I said, with whatever they look like, you get to have them forever and they mean the world. It's cool to be able to have two of them now.”
That's two more than the Bengals have these days.
Much like their recent trip to the White House, the Chiefs invited anybody that was part of the team last year, including those that are working elsewhere now. That includes offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who left for a similar job with the Washington Commanders and wasn't sure whether he could fit the trip into his schedule.
“It's a little bit like what went on at the White House,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but they're coming back to Kansas City. I think it's a great deal. I think the Hunt (family) have put together a really nice event for the guys.”
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