Patrick Mahomes explains ‘funny’ reason why Mecole Hardman Jnr didn’t initially celebrate his overtime Super Bowl LVIII-winning touchdown for Kansas City Chiefs against San Francisco 49ers
- The 25-year-old secured the Super Bowl LVIII victory for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Mercole Hardman Jnr caught Patrick Mahomes’ game-winning pass
- Mahomes later revealed why his teammate didn’t initially celebrate his score
Patrick Mahomes has revealed the reason why Mecole Hardman Jr. did not initially celebrate his winning touchdown that secured the Super Bowl LVIII title for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered a stunning overtime performance that ended with a late Hardman touchdown, giving them a 25-22 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
A second straight NFL parade title was won when the Chiefs scored the crucial score with just three seconds left in the newly formatted overtime that decided the game.
Hardman took off into space in the right when Mahomes found him with a simple throw that took him over the line and lifted the reigning champions to a final three-point lead.
The 25-year-old looked uncharacteristically stunned as he slowed down after the match-winning score before realization set in and he was mobbed by Kansas teammates.
Mercole Hardman Jnr runs in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII winning touchdown
MVP star Patrick Mahomes revealed that Hardman did not know the Chiefs had won the Super Bowl
Mahomes and Hardman (right) are mobbed by their Kansas teammates in the touchdown zone
This was the first game played under the new overtime rules introduced in the play-offs which guarantee both teams possession of the ball to try to score a touchdown, with the extra period being played in four 15-minute quarters.
Super Bowl MVP Mahomes crashed a post-game interview with Hardman to explain how the scenario played out on the field.
“Can I tell a short, funny story?” Mahomes said on NFL Network after winning the Lombardi Trophy.
“I threw a touchdown to this guy (Hardman(to end the game) and he looked at me and he had no idea.
“I said, ‘Dude, we just won the Super Bowl.’ He had no idea. At first he didn’t even celebrate. I’m like, ‘What are we doing?’.
Hardman initially hadn’t realized that his score with three seconds left had guaranteed victory for Kansas
A bewildered Hardman comically added, “I blacked out,” as he offered a further explanation for his lack of party spirit.
Hardman first joined Kansas as a rookie in 2019, but fell out of a starting spot and joined the New York Jets for the 2023 season before ultimately returning to help the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.
Kansas City stars later headed to Las Vegas to celebrate their third Super Bowl win in five years, staging a stunning comeback at Allegiant Stadium.
Travis Kelce – friend of Taylor Swift – led the Chiefs’ post-game locker room celebrations despite clashing with coach Andy Reid in the first half of the game.