It's been a rough few days for the Chiefs and star defender Chris Jones. After Kansas City lost to the Jaguars on Monday Night Football thanks to a chaotic last-second touchdown run by Trevor Lawrence, Jones was criticized for his lack of effort on the deciding play. He was even called out by coach Andy Reid. It all led to Jones deactivating his social media accounts.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked about the nature of being online as a professional athlete. He offered sound but simple advice: stay off of social media as often as possible, but if you're going to be on it, find motivation.
"It can be toxic for sure, being on social media and seeing stuff," Mahomes said. "To me, at the end of the day, I know who I am and I know the amount of work that I put in. I can live with myself and live with the results. I feel like, if you're putting in the work and you're doing whatever you can to leave everything on the football field, you can live with the results of a win/loss or whatever anyone has to say because you know the type of effort you put in every single day.
"Stay off it as much as possible, and then if you are going to be on it I would use it as motivation more than anything."
Patrick Mahomes offers advice to athletes on social media during the season.
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) October 8, 2025
He told @Leabonics, "Stay off it as much as possible. If you are gonna be on it, I would use it as motivation more than anything." pic.twitter.com/ocwOPLTBva
Solid wisdom. Fans do not hold back even their nastiest thoughts on social media and the online sphere can get very toxic, as Mahomes said. Especially after a dramatic loss like the one the Chiefs suffered.
They have a chance to bounce back next Sunday night against the Lions. But the result probably won't inspire Jones, Mahomes, or any other Chiefs to spend more time online.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patrick Mahomes Had Good Social Media Advice After Star Teammate Deletes Accounts.
