at Phoeпix Coпveпtioп Ceпter oп Febrυary 13, 2023 iп Phoeпix, Arizoпa

NFL faпs are prayiпg for Patrick Mahomes aпd his family followiпg some heartbreakiпg пews.

Debbie Bates Martiп, the graпdmother of the Kaпsas City Chiefs’ star qυarterback, passed away last Wedпesday followiпg υпspecified health battles at the age of 72. Debbie was the mother of Patrick’s mom, Raпdi Mahomes.

Teresa Jaпe, a close frieпd of Raпdi’s, aппoυпced the sad пews iп a Facebook post. Oп Moпday eveпiпg, Raпdi seпt oυt this emotioпal message oп Twitter: “Miss yoυ momma”

Football faпs offered a series of coпdoleпces to the Mahomes family oп Twitter.

Patrick Mahomes Says It’s Been ‘Awesome’ to See Travis Kelce’s Relationship with Taylor Swift Grow

Published on February 6, 2024 07:41AM EST

Patrick Mahomes, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. PHOTO: JC OLIVERA/GETTY; JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGES FOR TAS; JC OLIVERA/GETTY

Patrick Mahomes is happy for Taylor Swift and his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce.

Speaking during a press conference at the Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night event at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, the quarterback, 28, called the budding romance between Kelce and Swift, both 34, “awesome.”

“We’ve had a couple dinners,” Mahomes said. “I mean that just comes with friendship. It’s just a lot of great people and we just try to build this life together and just enjoy each other.”

“It’s been awesome to see their relationship grow,” the sportsman continued, later adding that “Taylor is a great person.”

Patrick Mahomes at the Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night event in Las Vegas.MARC SANCHEZ/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY

Patrick Mahomes Says Travis Kelce’s Romance with Taylor Swift Has ‘Not Become a Distraction’

Last week, Kelce revealed when his and Swift’s love story began as he shared that the duo had already been getting to know each other weeks before she attended the Chief’s game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 24, 2023.

“We had known each other for close to a month up to that point,” Kelce said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “It wasn’t just an out-of-the-blue, ‘Hey, come to the game,’ ” he added.

Meanwhile, Kelce’s teammate and friend Mahomes also opened up about how he thought the tight end was handling life outside of football.

“He’s handled it great,” Mahomes said. “He wants to be out, do stuff and follow his dreams outside the building and obviously he’s in a great relationship now and he embraces that.”

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift celebrate the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win.PATRICK SMITH/GETTY

Patrick Mahomes Gushes Over Taylor Swift, Says Travis Kelce Is ‘Lucky Enough to Be with a Great Woman’

“But when he gets in the building it’s all about football, it’s all about the brotherhood that we’ve built,” Mahomes continued. “And he has that same mindset and he’s a leader. He leads by example.”

Mahomes went on to say that when Kelce “comes in the building, he works his tail off and when you see a guy that’s a hall of famer and he’s the hardest working guy in the building, it inspires everybody else.”

“That’s what I’ve always respected about Travis more than anything is that he can enjoy life outside the building and when he gets in the building he’s gonna be the hardest working guy in there as well,” Mahomes concluded.

The father of two’s comments come after he opened to PEOPLE about his first impression of meeting Kelce at the Opening Night event.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce celebrate the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win.PERRY KNOTTS/GETTY

“I knew of him obviously, because he was such a great football player even before I got [to the Chiefs],” Patrick told PEOPLE. “I think my biggest impression was, ‘that’s a tall guy,’ because I’d never seen a guy that tall man be able to move like that.”

‘But just a good dude, man, I think I knew that from day one,” he added.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in Vegas preparing for the Super Bowl LVIII, which will see them take on the San Francisco 49ers at the Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11.