It’s no surprise that Dylan Raiola, the freshman quarterback from Nebraska, looks up to Patrick Mahomes. Social media has been buzzing with discussion about whether Raiola is going overboard in trying to be like Mahomes. It’s either getting a similar hairstyle or sunglasses. Raiola has always tried to follow in Patrick’s footsteps.

Even during his match against the Buffs, when Raiola threw for 185 yards with a touchdown, fans couldn’t help but see the resemblance to Patrick Mahomes. However, this time Dylan is getting brutally questioned about his identity, but Patrick Mahomes’s fans come to save the day. 

Patrick Mahomes’s fan army supports Dylan Raiola

On September 9th, Dylan Raiola took to Instagram to share a victory post, following Nebraska’s high-margin win of 28-10 against the Colorado Buffs. Rather than congratulating him on his exceptional gameplay, fans began to question his identity as a player. “Why do you want to be like @patrickmahomes so bad? This comment instigated a big line of people responding.

Patrick’s army showed up to support Dylan and was more than happy to chime in on why he is inspiring. A fan replied to the question, saying, “Why not him? Pat’s got 3 SB wins. He’s been to the AFC Championship game every year as a starter. He’s a man of faith and a great leader!! Here’s the thing: I don’t think Dylan wants to be Pat Mahomes. He wants to be better than Pat Mahomes!!! GBR!!!”. That’s true. The Kansas Chiefs have reached six straight AFC championships with Patrick Mahomes as their starting quarterback. Why won’t anyone want to be like him? Almost everyone had the same reply to this question. A fan said, “Bro, in literally every situation you should want to be like the best version of what your job is.” Patrick Mahomes is the Michael Jordan of football; until someone that capable shows up, he is the king. Maybe that’s what made Dylan Raiola choose the best to become the best.

Another fan supported Dylan Raiola by saying, “Well let me help answer that for him… Lets see is it the Super Bowls? The multi-million dollar contract or maybe the nice family 🤦… my teachers lied when they said all questions are good ones. As a 19-year-old soon to be NFL, QB emulating Mahomes is probably where you want to start, pal. Cmon.” Even though the tone was sarcastic, the facts are real. The 28-year-old is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history and has led the Chiefs to their two consecutive Super Bowl wins. Either it’s his three Super Bowl MVP Award wins or his 10-year deal of $503 million with the Chiefs. This fan smartly added all of Mahomes’s big achievements to assert his stature. 

Another fan said, “@patrickmahomes is a pretty solid role model!” Exactly when did following your idols become a sin? Following this, a fan said, “I wanna be like Patrick Mahomes so bad, so what?” Looking at fan responses, one thing is quite clear: Mahomes’ fans are not taking it lightly on the trolls. Additionally, Dylan Raiola has ample justification for looking up to his role model. However, questioning Raiola’s identity even after their win against the Buffs is like doubting his abilities.

Dylan Raiola’s performance against the Buffs

Even if people think Dylan Raiola loves imitating Patrick Mahomes’ signature styles and game tactics, Raiola still has an identity of his own. Dylan’s exceptional gameplay gave Nebraska an edge against the Buffs. Even Huskers former head coach Matt Rhule said the same about him after the match: “He’s at a whole other level, and those other guys better pick it up.” 

Nothing is far from the truth. Raiola was in his best form since the start of the match. Dylan completed 42 of his 57 passes with a completion rate of 73.7%. He even ran for 423 yards with three touchdowns. Raiola completed the match with zero interceptions. Despite delivering an outstanding performance, he continues to face online harassment. Even if Raiola is following Patrick, does it matter? Isn’t it common to have a role model? What are your thoughts on it? Do let us know in the comments!