A series of break-ins at the homes of some of the NFL’s top stars has the rest of the league on notice.
The residences of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were both targeted in November, while the Ohio home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was robbed on Monday, December 9.
In the cases of Kelce, 35, and Burrow, 28, the break-ins happened while they were away from home and competing on Monday Night Football for their respective teams.
The incident at Mahomes’ house happened on October 6, the day before the burglary at Kelce’s residence and their MNF game at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium against the New Orleans Saints.
The FBI is reportedly working with local law enforcement to investigate recent burglaries at the homes of high-profile athletes including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. NBC News reports that authorities are attempting to determine whether the break-ins are “connected to a transnational crime ring such as one from South America.” The investigation is still ongoing, […]
In response, the NFL issued a league-wide memo urging its players to take proper precautions.
The letter offered a number of suggestions, including not posting in real time on social media, installing security systems and keeping valuables out of plain sight.
For a comprehensive list of what NFL players have said about the break-ins, keep reading.
Patrick Mahomes
After his house was targeted, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the incident with members of the media.
“Obviously it’s frustrating, disappointing,” Mahomes, 29, said on November 13.
He continued, “I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing. But obviously it’s something that you don’t want to happen to, really anybody, but obviously yourself.”
Joe Burrow
The Bengals quarterback lamented how his personal life got intertwined with the break-in, which was alerted to authorities by a 911 call from his rumored girlfriend, Olivia Ponton.
“So obviously everybody has heard what has happened,” Burrow told reporters on December 11. “I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one. And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share, so that’s all I got to say about that.”
While Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was busy competing on Monday Night Football, drama was unfolding at his $7.5 million mansion in Cincinnati According to a 911 call placed by model and influencer Olivia Ponton on Monday, December 9 at 8:14 p.m., she arrived at the house to find a window broken and a ransacked […]
Burrow added, “We live a public life and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. And that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning. But I understand it’s the life that we choose. Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”
Aaron Rodgers
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers hinted at the gossip surrounding the break-in at Burrow’s house when discussing the incident with reporters.
“It’s an interesting situation that happened in Cincinnati, mostly around the call,” Rodgers, 41, said on December 11.
Rodgers said he has “full-time” security at his current home, which isn’t a precaution he took while playing for the Green Bay Packers.
“In Wisconsin, everybody’s got guns,” he said with a laugh. “So it’s a little less likely.”
Ric Tapia/Getty Images In the wake of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce’s homes being burglarized, University of Colorado football star Travis Hunter said it’s time to bring in reinforcements. “I’d have them guards standing at that door 24/7. Everyday,” Hunter, 21, said Tuesday, December 4 on “The Travis Hunter Show” podcast. “They got so much […]
Still, Rodgers admitted that safety is always on the minds of players in the league.
“It’s something that we all think about from time to time,” he continued. “You’re kind of exposed in that way. It seems like there’s a professional aspect to this where [the thieves] don’t care if there’s cameras on or an alarm set. They’re gonna get in and get out quickly.”
Rodgers said the NFL has a program where security experts will come out to players’ homes to help place cameras in correct spots and help safeguard against intruders, which he urged more people to use to their advantage.
Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa warned potential intruders about the danger of targeting his home.
“We got personal security to take care of all of that when we’re on the road,” Tagovailoa, 26, told reporters on December 11. “We got someone with my wife, got someone also at the house, surveying the house. Just to let that be known, they are armed. So I hope if you decide to go to my house, you think twice.”
Tagovailoa said he was motivated to take the safety measures after his car was recently broken into.
Robert Griffin III
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III said the league needs to step up to the plate even more.
“I just think that, collectively, the NFL has to do something to protect the players’ homes while they’re not there,” he told Us on December 12. “The NFL has the power to do it. Yeah, it might cost them some money, but you gotta protect these players and their families when they’re not home.”
