Patrick Mahomes "disappointed" with Christmas Day schedule vs Raiders: "Going to miss Christmas Eve with my kids"

Patrick Mahomes is not just one of the best players in the NFL right now, he is a very consummate family man as well.

Father of a daughter and son with soccer player-turned-personal trainer and sports team owner Brittany (nee) Matthews, he spends as much time with them as he can when he is not playing. But in 2023, business will largely prevent him from spending the holidays with his loved ones.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback recently spoke to NBC Sports' Mike Florio on the phone about the upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders. According to him, its 1:00 PM time slot is a boon for the fans:

“I’m excited because you get that standalone. You get to play at Arrowhead [Stadium] at 12:00. Everybody’s gonna be just opening presents and getting the food in them, and then they're gonna turn on the TV and see the Kansas City Chiefs playing."

But it is also somewhat of a bane for Mahomes:

“I’m a little disappointed I’m going to miss Christmas Eve with my kids and Christmas morning and miss Santa coming. But I’ll be able to spend the evening with them and open presents with them then. We’ll miss the kids a little bit but we’ll celebrate after the game’s over.”

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Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs looking to near AFC top seed vs Raiders on Christmas

Heading into Week 15, the Kansas City Chiefs were facing an uneasy situation.

They were coming off two straight losses in which Patrick Mahomes looked less than elite, throwing for an interception each. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were steadily gaining ground after turning a 1-5 start into a 6-1 run that included holding the defending Super Bowl champs without a touchdown at Empower Field, then mockingly playing "Shake It Off" in allusion to the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift relationship.

But the Chiefs got a breather after Russell Wilson and company suffered a 17-42 rout at the ascendant Detroit Lions on Saturday. Then, despite two picks for Mahomes, they won 27-17 at the New England Patriots to solidify their divisional lead.

That puts them back in prime contention for the AFC's top seed as they face the Las Vegas Raiders.

Currently sitting at 9-5, the Chiefs must first hope for a Miami Dolphins loss at the Dallas Cowboys, then beat the Raiders (they will go ahead via head-to-head victory). Then they must hope that Baltimore loses at the San Francisco 49ers later in the day.

After that game, they will look to sweep their last two games and hope for further Dolphins and Ravens losses. However, at least six other teams also have a mathematical chance to clinch a 12-5 record, top seed, and first-round bye – and one of them is the Cincinnati Bengals, whom Mahomes and company host on New Year's Eve.