Jackson Mahomes deserves grace — but his immaturity doesn’t mean no consequences | Opinion

Jackson Mahomes needs to take this time to reevaluate his priorities. And that is no knock on the 22-year-old younger brother of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

I keep reminding myself, Jackson Mahomes is a kid. He deserves grace — much more forgiveness than scorn at this crucial moment of his life.

But the young fella isn’t doing himself or his family any favors with his antics, which have grown, in a matter of years, from a harmless craving for attention to alleged criminal behavior.

As some elders I know would say, baby brother needs to sit his behind down and stay clear of trouble for the foreseeable future.

In Johnson County District Court, Jackson Mahomes faces three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and a misdemeanor count of battery. It goes without saying, the allegations that he forcibly kissed an Overland Park restaurant owner and shoved a waiter are serious.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested Jackson Mahomes on a warrant for aggravated sexual battery and battery, according to online court records. He spent most of the morning behind bars and was released from custody after posting a $100,000 bond.

Leawood resident Mahomes is a well-known social media influencer and, of course, the brother of a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Could his alleged behavior, in this case and others, hurt the Patrick Mahomes brand? Possibly.

I sure hope not. The older Mahomes cannot be held responsible for anything his younger sibling does.

The accusations against Jackson are merely that. His case must be adjudicated in the court of law.

But the video footage I watched of the incident is telling, if not outright damning to Mahomes’ defense that he did nothing wrong, as his attorney suggested after the alleged assault and a separate battery allegation became public.

Mahomes must walk a tightrope until his case runs its course through the legal system. Under bond conditions, Mahomes must refrain from alcohol use and he cannot possess firearms. He is to abstain from illegal drugs or controlled substances and cannot refuse random drug tests.

He must stay clear of the alleged victims and cannot set foot on their property or workplace — all worthy restrictions.

Mahomes and his defense attorney, Brandan Davies, are prohibited from commenting publicly about the case or the alleged victim or her business, according to The Star.

The gag order is understandable. Just by the very nature of Jackson’s kinship to one of the NFL’s brightest stars, the case is sure to garner national attention. And the social media star isn’t exactly known for keeping his mouth shut.

As I said when the incident was reported in The Star in February, Mahomes should know better than to kiss someone without explicit permission, an unlawful act he has to atone for in court. Three felony charges are nothing to play with. Significant jail time could be on the table.

Video footage of Mahomes grabbing the neck of the 40-year-old alleged victim and forcibly kissing her is hard to watch. I won’t identify the woman. She is the victim of an alleged sexual assault.

Earlier this year, she came forward with details of the encounter to The Star’s Mike Hendricks, telling him the kiss was unwelcome. “He forcibly kissed me out of nowhere,” the victim said.

On the same night, in a separate incident, Mahomes also shoved a waiter several times, court records indicate.

I don’t know if Jackson Mahomes is guilty of sexual battery or the other charges against him. The legal system will determine those outcomes.

What I do know is, the younger brother of one of Kansas City’s biggest celebrities should seek counseling and use whatever resources he has at his disposal to turn his life into something more influential than being a social media star.