Former Twin Pat Mahomes returns to Minnesota to watch his son play the Vikings

NFL defenders aren't the only people Patrick Mahomes wants to dominate in every possible way.

"I think the only thing he ever wanted growing up was to beat me," laughed Pat Mahomes Sr., the former Twins pitcher and father to the Chiefs' two-time league and Super Bowl-winning MVP.

"And I never let him win when he was a kid. He had to earn it."

The older Mahomes arrived in the Twin Cities on Thursday and will be at U.S. Bank Stadium when his son plays the Vikings for the first time on Sunday. Pat was in his fourth of five years with the Twins when Patrick was born in Tyler, Texas, on Sept. 17, 1995.

Both grew up in Texas as three-sport stars in baseball, basketball and football. Pat knew Patrick had a professional arm in the making when he was 6 years old: He fielded a grounder at shortstop and threw the ball so hard it broke the first baseman's glasses.

"I thought he'd be a pitcher and, actually, football was his third-best sport early on," Pat said. "It was the sport he started last. It wasn't until he fell in love with playing under the Friday night lights in Texas his junior year that he ran with what he can do on the football field."

Father and son were always competing. Pat once told Patrick he threw 93 mph as a senior in high school. Patrick shrugged and cranked his fastball up to 96 mph his senior year.

"Yeah, but I graduated at 17," Pat said. "Patrick was 18, almost 19. I was throwing 100 mph when I was that age."

The competitive duo picked up a fourth sport in which to battle: golf.

"The first time he beat me in anything was three years ago," Pat said. "We were at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. I shot an 82. Patrick shot a 79. He's never let me forget it, either. And he's been thumping me on the golf course ever since. I just haven't been able to beat him the last three years."

Former Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze, the 2004 first-round draft pick whose NFL career was cut short by leukemia, will sound the Gjallarhorn before Sunday's game as part of cancer awareness month.

Udeze played from 2004 to 2007 before his diagnosis in February 2008. He tried to return in 2009 but had to retire. He's been in coaching ever since, mostly at the collegiate level.

Udeze was with the Tennessee Titans in 2021 but suffered a foot injury in a practice drill that required surgery and an eight-month recovery period. He's now a defensive analyst at the University of Houston.

"I had so many things that I wanted to accomplish in the game of football," Udeze said. "The next thing you know, somebody shakes your world up and pretty much sets your world on fire. When you go into a hospital in Meridian, Idaho, and they tell you that you have blood cancer, it's disbelief."

Udeze struggles with what could have been on the field but quickly refocuses on how healthy he is at 40.

"I've been cancer-free for 15 years," he said. "I just celebrated my anniversary. July 16, 2008, that's when I got my bone marrow transplant from my brother, Thomas Barnes. He'll be there with me on Sunday. Can't wait to see those Vikings fans."

Coach Kevin O'Connell said center Garrett Bradbury will return to the starting lineup after a back injury sidelined him seven snaps into the season opener.

Listed as questionable on Friday's injury report were safety Lewis Cine, outside linebacker Marcus Davenport, linebacker Brian Asamoah II and quarterback Nick Mullens. If Mullens isn't able to play, rookie Jaren Hall will back up Kirk Cousins.

O'Connell also said guards Ezra Cleveland and Ed Ingram will continue as starters.