Steelers’ Troy Polamalu Reveals Secret About Patrick Mahomes That No One Knows: 'Uncle Patty'

Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame safety, Troy Polamalu will forever be a favorite in the Steel City. His career resume speaks for itself. During his 12 seasons in the NFL, Polamalu started 142 games, recorded 32 interceptions, 107 passes defended, five touchdowns, 14 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and accumulated 783 tackles.

Few players have meant as much to a team as Polamalu meant to Pittsburgh. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, eight-time Pro Bowler, and four-time All-Pro. Another player who holds immense value to his franchise is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl winner. Polamalu and Mahomes have been featured together in many commercials for Head and Shoulders shampoo.

Polamalu joined Not Just Football with Cam Heyward to talk about some of his favorite moments as a Steeler. During his appearance, he revealed that he met Mahomes early in his career, and the two have stayed friends ever since. Polamalu shared just how great of a guy Mahomes truly is.

“First of all, I love telling this story about Pat [Mahomes] because it’s who he is and what people don’t really know about him. I met him after his rookie year. He had a great rookie year… From that moment, he sends me a pair of shoes or a pair of sunglasses every month.”

Mahomes is the face of the NFL and has entered the Greatest of All-Time conversation at the young age of 28. His career is far from over, and if it continues as it started, the debate about Tom Brady being the GOAT may eventually be challenged by Mahomes. With Mahomes' high status, he has secured numerous impressive brand deals. He ensures that Polamalu receives a box of products every single month.

“My kids are like, ‘Hey, Uncle Patty sent us a box.’ This is almost like seven or eight years. Every time I get around him, he has never changed from those first moments. We had very real conversations when he was young. The fact that we can still have those conversations as he is reaching Kobe, LeBron, Jordan, Tom Brady status is incredible… He’s just very humble and down to earth.”

Mahomes has had an incredible start to his career. He is an exciting quarterback to watch and a player every NFL franchise envies. In 2018, Mahomes played against the Steelers and led the Chiefs to victory. During that game, he threw for six touchdowns, completed 82.1% of his passes, and amassed 326 passing yards, all without throwing an interception.

Steelers Will Face Off Against Patrick Mahomes On Christmas Day

Pittsburgh will battle Mahomes again in the 2024 season. This challenging game comes off a short week, following a matchup against their major AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers will play in Baltimore on Saturday and then host the Chiefs just four days later. It won't be an easy task, but the Steelers made significant moves this offseason and should stand a chance against the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

Hearing that Polamalu has a good relationship with Mahomes is not surprising. Polamalu is not only one of the greatest football players of all-time, but also one of the greatest humans. He's a down-to-earth person, and his friendship with Mahomes highlights his genuine character. While Polamalu never had the chance to face Mahomes on the field, it's heartwarming to hear about their friendship now. Steelers fans would do just about anything to have Polamalu in their secondary while facing the Chiefs in 2024.