Heidi Gardner wants Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to be ‘SNL’ co-hosts

There has been a narrative in some NFL circles this offseason that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will soon regress.

The chatter started with the Chiefs’ trade of wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, and only recently have some pundits been coming to Mahomes’ defense. The anti-Mahomes chatter has been tough on one of the Chiefs’ celebrity fans.

“Saturday Night Live” star Heidi Gardner was on The Ringer’s podcast this week and talked with Bill Simmons about the Mahomes skeptics.

“I feel like Mahomes is always motivated. ... There is this conversation right now. There’s Mahomes haters and I just don’t understand it,” Gardner said. “I know it’s just because he’s so good. At the beginning of the season last year, like interception craziness but he also adapts to a situation and figures out a new way. And I don’t know why there’s doubters ...

Simmons interjected and said: “You seem agonized by this.”

The response from Gardner, who is a native Kansas Citian: “I am. This is the first time we’ve ever had a franchise quarterback on the Chiefs. The other biggest thing ever was when we got Joe Montana in his last year. And so I am just this forever kind of scared Chiefs fan and this is the first time I’ve felt confident, but like I said, not too cocky ever. So it’s just hard when people are coming down on the greatest thing that ever happened to us.”

Simmons asked Gardner if Mahomes could one day branch out into acting and perhaps host “Saturday Night Live.”

Gardner has thought of this and offered an amendment to Simmons’ suggestion.

“It’s like my biggest dream, and I wish they would do a Mahomes/Kelce co-host, because I think Travis Kelce is actually hilarious, super charismatic, and he would balance just the part of like Mahomes that might be a little more reserved or nervous,” she said. “I think they’d be a great double duo.

“And they would probably get annoyed by what a little sister I would be tapping on their shoulder all week, and they fully know that I’m from Kansas City and a fan. I’ve met them both but I know myself and I would just be so much like, ‘Oh this play. Oh, remember when you ran Wasp and won the Super Bowl?’

“I saw Travis Kelce at the ESPYs and I was like, ‘Dude, it was so cool when you were mic’d up in the Bills game and like, right before Tyreek ran it, you were like, No. 10 No. 10.’ Just doing a moment where he was just trying to get Tyreek Hill’s attention. And like, I think he was like, ‘OK Heidi.’”

Here is part of the conversation.