On Feb. 11, 2024, following Super Bowl LVIII, an image went viral on X (formerly Twitter) depicting what was alleged to be a swastika on the headband of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Captioned "You're a nazi @PatrickMahomes," the post received more than 250,000 views and 5,400 likes as of this writing.
(Image via X account @imzordigy)
The symbol many in the comments and in retweets also claimed to be a swastika was actually the number 15, which was partially covered by Mahomes' ear. His jersey number is 15, as seen on his official Chiefs profile. As such, we rate this claim as "False."
The interview between Mahomes and the CBS reporter captured in the image took place immediately following the Chiefs' 25-22 overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers.
Other headbands worn by Mahomes have also displayed the number 15 above his right ear, such as this smaller, yellow 15 seen in an image from a 2020 ESPN video:
(Image via ESPN YouTube account)
A year earlier, a viral rumor that followed the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl LVII was whether Mahomes failed a post-game drug test, which was debunked by our newsroom as well as Reuters.