Chiefs Super Bowl parade 2023 takeaways: Patrick Mahomes leaves Lombardi Trophy with Kansas City fan

The Chiefs were honored with a parade in K.C., and emphatically stated their intent to 'run it back'

Kansas City has fought for the right to party, and it did. Days after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, the Chiefs took to the streets on Wednesday afternoon for their championship parade. This is the second championship parade Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid took part in together, and the first since they hoisted the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy back in 2019 after Super Bowl LIV. 

Naturally, this was a spectacle that featured plenty of celebration and viral moments from Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones and others as they basked in the glory of being atop the football world.  

Head coach naturally Andy Reid opened with his trademark "How about those Chiefs?!" So, here are some takeaways about those Chiefs and their raucous celebration in downtown Kansas City. 

1. Kelce steals the show once again

First-Team All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce's speech was the highlight of the 2019 season's Super Bowl championship parade, and Kelce showed up in prime shape once again as Wednesday's highlight, firing up the crowd plenty, especially when reminding them of "the haters" following the trade of First-Team All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.

"Let me take you back to the year 2022, let me take you back to the month of April, maybe," Kelce yelled. "Guys were getting signed left and right, the haters were saying 'the Chiefs would never make the playoffs' pfft [noise]. The haters were saying the Chiefs were done, pfft [noise]."

Then, he transitioned to the Q&A portion of his speech with the throng of frenzied Kansas City Chiefs fans.

"If you knew the Chiefs were going to win the division, say hell yeah!"

"If you knew the Chiefs were going to get the number one seed, say hell yeah! I knew it, you knew it, but they ain't know it."

"If you knew Patrick Mahomes was going to win the MVP, let me hear you say hell yeah!"

Mahomes' MVP question elicited a louder response. Then, Kelce switched up the reply he was asking the crowd for in response to his rhetorical questions. 

"If you knew the Kansas City Chiefs were going to have the best offense in the league, let me hear you say uhhhh, nah, nah, nah."

"If you knew Chris Jones was going to be the best defensive player in the nation, let me hear you say uhhhh, nah, nah, nah."

"Let me hear you say uhhhh, nah, nah, nah, alright, alright, alright.

"Chiefs Kingdom, we do this for you guys," Kelce said, starting to get a little emotional. "I want you guys to genuinely know this, we do this for you guys. We love every single time you make Arrowhead [Stadium] shake. Wooo! [Ric Flair noise]. Uhhhh, nah, nah, nah. In all reality, this was the best season of my life. I owe it to you guys, I owe it to the guys on this stage, I owe it to everybody in Chiefs Kingdom, and the organization that we have been able to create. Every asks if this is a dynasty, but this has been a dynasty. Y'all just ain't know that shit. Y'all know that shit now. Believe that shit, and this shit forever."

He concluded with the theme of the day, run it back.

"Let me hear you say uhhhh, nah, nah, nah. Let's run this shit back," Kelce said before handing over the microphone.

2. Mahomes, Bolton 'don't know about rebuilding'

The clear rallying cry for the 2022 Kansas City Chiefs was that people counted them out in the preseason to win the division or even make the playoffs, crowning the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, or Las Vegas Raiders after headline-grabbing transactions. Mahomes' focus was on the claims that the Chiefs were rebuilding, something he claimed to know nothing about. After seeing his team win the Vince Lombardi Trophy in two of the last four seasons, the electrifying quarterback inferred a dynasty is coming. 

"We're back again!" Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes exclaimed. "The AFC West said we were rebuilding. I don't know what rebuilding means. In our rebuilding year, we're world champs! I just want y'all to know that is just the beginning! We ain't done yet! I'll make sure to hit y'all back next year and make sure the crowd is the same!

Nick Bolton, who registered the first fumble recovery touchdown in a Super Bowl since Denver Broncos defensive lineman Malik Jackson did so in Super Bowl 50, kept his time in the spotlight short and sweet, echoing his quarterback.

"This is just the beginning, we're just getting started, see y'all next year," Bolton said before getting the crowd to do the University of Missouri's, his alma mater, chant. "MIZ-ZOU!"

3. The party doesn't end as Kelce delivers the closing rallying call

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones grabbed the mic from emcee and Chiefs play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus to say, "We can't end the party now! I have three rounds for you and after that, Travis Kelce there's one thing we have to do baby. There's one thing we have to do for our right to fight. Run it back! Run it back! Run it back!"

Jones then said, "Travis, end this how it's supposed to." 

"You have to fight for your right to party and we're going to party!" Kelce said after getting the mic back as confetti rained down with "Fight for Your Right" by the Beastie Boys blaring from the speakers. 

4. The Chiefs' offensive line was loud and proud

The Chiefs' offensive line was a critical reason as to why the team emerged victorious on Sunday. The Eagles entered the Super Bowl with 78 sacks on the year -- good for third-most all time, including playoffs. However, they failed to get to Mahomes a single time in the Super Bowl, a huge shift from when their quarterback was sacked three times and pressured constantly in the Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to end the 2020 season, the previous time Kansas City was in the Big Game. 

After the final whistle, Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. tweeted, "0 sacks, put it on a f-----g T Shirt!!!!" At the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade on Wednesday, the players did, in fact, "put it on a T Shirt."

Naturally, the Kansas City offensive line literally put "zero sacks" on a T-shirt. The Eagles recorded a 54 percent pressure rate in their first two playoff games this year, but that number fell to 36 percent against Brown and Kansas City's linemen. 

"This is a historic offensive line," Brown said after the Super Bowl. "You look at what coach [Andy] Reid, [offensive line coach] Andy Heck, [offensive coordinator Eric] Bieniemy, the position they put us in up front to allow us to have the consistency that we have week after week. To be able to stand up here as a world champion, none of that is possible without everyone understanding the plan. They continue to put us in a great position, they know the type of talent they have, they know the leadership they have.

"We take a lot of pride upfront in being the source of energy and when you're coming into this game, circumstances, everything is going to be really high, it's the Super Bowl, Patrick's been dealing with an ankle injury. We knew we were going to have to pass in certain situations. It wasn't pretty or perfect, but it was enough to win the game and that's what matters."

5. Patrick Mahomes gives Lombardi Trophy to stranger

We've seen quarterbacks become a bit reckless the Lombardi Trophy in recent years. Tom Brady threw the Buccaneers' trophy from one boat to another a few years ago, and now we have Patrick Mahomes handing it off to a complete stranger. 

As the Super Bowl and NFL MVP came off the parade bus to party with the fans in attendance, he brought the Lombardi Trophy with him. He took a selfie with one fan and as he turned away and back toward the busses, Mahomes inexplicably handed the trophy to the fan and left it with him. 

TMZ noted that the Chiefs were quickly able to retrieve the trophy, so there was no harm, no foul to the hilarious turn of events. Mahomes is rarely sloppy with the football, but after a few adult beverages, he apparently gets a bit loose with Lombardis. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 3:46 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Chiefs parade ends with Travis Kelce once again saying, "You have to fight for your right to party, and we're going to party!"

[Feb 15, 2023 at 3:29 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Linebacker Nick Bolton echoed his QB, "This is just the beginning, we're just getting started. See y'all next year."

[Feb 15, 2023 at 3:26 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Patrick Mahomes' speech centered around not rebuilding despite claims that this was a rebuilding season without Tyreek Hill. 

"We're back again. The AFC West said we were re-building. I don't know what re-building means. In our rebuilding year, we're world champs! I just want y'all to know that is just the beginning! We ain't done yet! I'll make sure to hit y'all back next year and make sure the crowd is the same!

[Feb 15, 2023 at 3:06 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Travis Kelce flexing with the Lombardi Trophy.

[Feb 15, 2023 at 3:03 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons is one of the first big-name speakers at the Chiefs' victory parade.

[Feb 15, 2023 at 2:29 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy at a Chiefs Super Bowl parade for the second time in four seasons. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:53 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs fans were camped out for the parade at 6 a.m., six hours before the parade began. Can't question their dedication to their team.   

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:46 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Super Bowl LVII MVP and 2022 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes taking in the festivities with a beverage. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:33 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown is rocking the fur coat, clearly ready for fun parade day, his first Super Bowl title. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:30 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs legend and retired, four-time Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles getting on the championship parade celebration with the fans in Kansas City. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:24 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had the most memorable parade speech following the team's Super Bowl LIV win in the 2019 season. Who will it be today??? 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:06 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Donna Kelce in the house, as expected:

[Feb 15, 2023 at 1:06 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Chiefs center Creed Humphrey flexing that he and the Kansas City offensive line didn't surrender a sack against the Eagles and their NFL-best pass rush in their 38-35 Super Bowl LVII win. 

[Feb 15, 2023 at 12:50 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Former Chiefs stars coming out for the parade today: