Patrick Mahomes: Chiefs' Loss to Bucs Is Motivation for the Rest of My Career

Patrick Mahomes will not forget Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

"It will definitely motivate us," the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback said Monday. "When you're a competitor and get so close to your ultimate goal and fall short, it's something that will motivate you for the rest of your career. ... We'll set the tone from the beginning [of next year] that we have to be better."

The Chiefs were on the brink of back-to-back championships but fell short of their goal this time around with a 31-9 loss to the Buccaneers.

It was the first time in his NFL career Mahomes started a game and lost by more than one score, per ESPN Stats and Info.

Of course, Mahomes doesn't have many losses of any kind with a 44-10 record as a starter, including the playoffs. Despite the unfamiliar territory, he vowed to return to the biggest stage after the game:

"Being a competitor, you're going to lose games, but it's about how you respond," Mahomes added Monday. "... Our guys understand that and they're ready to get back after it."

Despite the loss, the Chiefs should still enter 2021 as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Mahomes remains one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL while most of his weapons are set to return, including Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The return of injured offensive linemen Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz should also go a long way.

With key defenders like Tyrann Mathieu, Chris Jones and Frank Clark also still under contract, this team has the talent to beat anyone in the NFL. The extra motivation after a Super Bowl loss could make this squad even more dangerous in 2021.