Patrick Mahomes gave more than just Kansas City Chiefs fans something to celebrate during his return to the field against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
In a viral internet video, two bettors screamed with joy as Mahomes cashed their $2,100 ticket for him to score the game’s first touchdown.
Key Takeaways
- Mahomes sent six laughing emojis to the man with the ticket.
- A video showed real-time reactions to a Mahomes TD being ruled out by penalty before he scored another.
- The Chiefs are fifth in Super Bowl odds, and Mahomes is sixth in MVP odds.
Mahomes had not played in an NFL game since last December, when he tore his ACL and LCL. Although he was healthy enough to get back onto the field, it was unclear how sharp or athletic he would be after the layover.
Those questions didn’t stop sports betting personality Gavin McHugh from believing in the three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP.
He submitted a $100 wager at +2,000 for Mahomes to be the first touchdown scorer, meaning he stood to profit $2,000 if he was proven correct.
The Broncos got the ball first, but after just three plays, Bo Nix soft-armed an interception to rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane. The Chiefs took the ball and drove it down to the five-yard line when Mahomes dropped back, scrambled right, cut back across the field, and dove into the end zone — only to be nullified by a holding penalty.
Undeterred, Mahomes on the next play went back in shotgun, escaped out the left side, and once again went airborne to thrust the ball past the pylons, this time without any illegal interference. The live reaction of McHugh and his podcast partner captured their raucous celebrations as they frolicked in joy, knowing they were $2,000 richer.
An edited video that was shared at 9:34 p.m. Eastern showcased the build-up and immediate celebrations that followed Mahomes’ red zone scamper. And of the four million-plus people who came across the video, one of them happened to be Mahomes himself.
At 1:15 a.m., Mahomes quoted the video with six laughing emojis in a post that also has nearly four million views. McHugh responded that he had “been staring at this tweet for 15 minutes and [was] still not sure it’s real.”
😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/QpMLwfhsra
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 15, 2026
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Mahomes, Chiefs fly in primetime
Mahomes’ rushing touchdown was one of three he scored on the day, with the other two being passes to Rashee Rice and Kenneth Walker III.
Although Mahomes was at the center of attention in his return from injury, it was Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP and marquee summer signing, who stole the show. He ran 23 times for 173 yards and scored two total touchdowns as he took an enormous step toward becoming the first Mahomes teammate to rush for 1,000 yards while Mahomes was the team’s starter.
The performances were part of a resounding 31-10 win over the Broncos, who made it to the AFC Championship Game last season. They also cashed another pick of McHugh’s, the Chiefs moneyline, which was part of a flawless four-pick series of primetime bets.
Update:
— Gavin McHugh (@gavinmchughh) September 15, 2026
Wednesday night : Pats +3.5 ✅
Thursday night: Niners +3 ✅
Sunday night: Giants +3 ✅
Monday night: Chiefs ML ✅
SEE YOU THURSDAY NIGHT IN BUFFALO https://t.co/cCeCniaO86 pic.twitter.com/yas4yGC03p
Throttling the Broncos helped the Chiefs lock down +1,400 Super Bowl odds, which are tied for fifth at BetMGM. But the individual performances didn’t bear much of an impact in the MVP race.
Mahomes — who finished the game 15/27 for 184 yards, three total TDs, and an interception — is only +1,400 in BetMGM’s NFL MVP odds, which puts him behind five other candidates: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Caleb Williams, Joe Burrow, and Trevor Lawrence. Those odds are also below the +1,100 value at which he opened.
