Mahomes' affinity for ketchup drew national attention after being mentioned in an ESPN The Mag articleGETTY IMAGES
Heinz is offering Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes a "lifetime supply" of ketchup if he can "set the NFL single-season record for touchdown passes this season," according to Pete Grathoff of the K.C. STAR. Mahomes' affinity for ketchup "drew national attention" after an ESPN The Magazine article noted he "likes to put ketchup on almost everything he eats." Peyton Manning set the record of 55 touchdown passes during the '13 season, so the 57 total is "undoubtedly a nice plug for one of Heinz' sauces." Mahomes: "I'm not opposed to it and I get ketchup for life. I'll be sure to share it with some of the offensive linemen." Mahomes currently is "on pace for 55 TD passes this season" (KANSASCITY.com, 11/15). ESPN’s Jalen Rose asked, “Who works for Heinz marketing and promotion? They need to be giving this dude an endorsement deal” (“Get Up,” ESPN, 11/16).
CAN'T MAKE THIS UP: NBC's Peter King noted Seth Wickersham, who wrote the ESPN article where all the ketchup talk originated from, responded to a text from King by saying that of "all my reportage in the last couple of years, I didn't think that the one that would get the most play had to do with ketchup and a quarterback in the NFL." King: "That's the way life goes in this world” (“PFT,” NBCSN, 11/16).
