Broncos Veteran Demands Sean Payton To Put Patrick Mahomes in His Place With a Hard Hit on Christmas

Christmas Day football is as American as pumpkin pie and post-dinner naps. But in Denver, the holiday tradition carries a sharper edge. Imagine the Broncos and Chiefs clashing under the lights, snowflakes mixing with breathable frost, and a rivalry simmering like Grandma’s forgotten gravy on the stove. For Broncos fans, beating Patrick Mahomes feels like unwrapping a gift they’ve been chasing since 2016—elusive, maddening, and wrapped in Chiefs red.

Back in the Peyton Manning era, Denver’s defense hunted quarterbacks like Black Friday deals. They battered Tom Brady, bullied Cam Newton, and turned Arrowhead Stadium into their personal playground. But times change. The Broncos now stare up at Kansas City’s throne, their lone win against Mahomes clinging to memory like a stubborn ornament. Enter Chris Harris Jr., a relic of Denver’s glory days, who’s tossing gasoline on this frostbitten feud.

Harris, a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback and architect of Denver’s “No Fly Zone” defense, isn’t mincing words. On the DNVR Broncos Podcast, he challenged Sean Payton’s squad to resurrect old-school physicality against Patrick Mahomes. “Keep Mahomes in the pocket,” Harris said. “Don’t let this guy get out running, scrambling like he does late in games. And I dare one of those guys to hit him. Please. Somebody has to send a message in that game.” The call echoes Denver’s 2015 AFC Championship win, where they hammered Brady 20 times…

A record that still gives Patriots fans nightmares. But today’s NFL rules favor quarterbacks, penalizing late hits and helmet-to-helmet collisions. “With Brady, we hit this guy damn near 20 times,” Harris added, but he knows the risks. “You might get a penalty, right? You never know, but we used to kind of send those messages.” It’s a high-stakes gamble. Rough Mahomes up, and you could spark a momentum shift—or hand Kansas City free yards. Besides, Harris’s plea isn’t just about rivalry.

Chris Harris Jr. wants to see the Broncos defense “send a message” to Patrick Mahomes this year

“I dare one of those guys to hit him. Please. Somebody has to send a message in that game. You might get a penalty. We kind of used to send those messages.” pic.twitter.com/ryVJ6o1QdS

— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) May 14, 2025

It’s a survival guide. Since Patrick Mahomes took over in 2017, Denver’s defense has resembled a flat tire—present but useless. The Broncos are 1-13 against him, but their lone win came in 2023 when Mahomes sat. Meanwhile, Kansas City’s Christmas games have become as routine as Mariah Carey’s annual comeback. This year, the NFL gifted Prime Video a Week 17 showdown in Arrowhead, ensuring holiday drama with playoff implications.

Quick question: In a league sanitized for safety, is there still room for a message sent through the grass?

A fine line between swagger and penalty flags

Can Denver’s rebuilt defense answer Harris’s challenge? Rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron, drafted 20th overall, might hold clues. Harris has already offered to mentor Barron, whose slot role mirrors his own legacy. “I can definitely help him on in what he’s going to have to do in VJ’s (Vance Joseph’s) system,” Harris said. If Barron absorbs even a fraction of Harris’ grit, Denver’s secondary could morph from liability to threat.

Harris isn’t alone in craving Mahomes’ discomfort. Ex-Raiders coach Antonio Pierce once showed his team clips of the Detroit Pistons’ “Jordan Rules” to inspire aggression. Result? A Christmas win in 2023—but a season sweep by Kansas City. The lesson? Pressure without precision is just noise. However, Denver’s path to relevance hinges on more than defense. Bo Nix, their rising QB, must outduel Mahomes in a shootout. Last year’s 10th-ranked offense showed promise, but beating Kansas City demands perfection. As Harris bluntly put it, “You’re gonna definitely get smacked” if you half-step.

Charles Dickens wrote, “No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.” For the Broncos, Christmas 2025 is that opportunity. Will Payton’s crew embrace Harris’s throwback brutality, or will Mahomes carve them up like a holiday ham? The answer lies in a paradox: respecting the game’s evolution while clawing back its raw, unapologetic soul.