‘Explain it again with those nuggies’: How good are Mahomes, Kelce & Reid in TV ads?

If this football thing doesn’t pan out, a few Chiefs might have a future in sales.

Playing championship football has made sports heroes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and coach Andy Reid, and their Chiefs are bidding for their third Super Bowl title in five years when they meet the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.

But their side hustles add an extra layer of exposure. Try channel surfing without landing on a pitch, especially from Mahomes and Kelce, for shampoo, insurance, energy drinks, soup, streaming services, sandwiches, ketchup, candy and more, often using humor to clinch the deals.

Chiefs fans can’t get enough of their hometown stars, and they must be popular enough outside of Kansas City to keep the offers coming. But are how good are they ... as actors?

We turn to the experts. Cynthia Levin is the producing artistic director of the Unicorn Theatre and has worked on presenting more than 320 contemporary plays in Kansas City.

Casting director Heather Laird, the principal owner of Wright/Laird Casting, has worked on more than 65 film and TV projects and more than 1,000 commercial and print advertisements. Laird has cast several commercials that included Mahomes.

So, what is it about these Chiefs that seems to translate so well to the screen that they return seemingly every few weeks in a new spot? It’s about more than their sports fame and Super Bowl rings.

“One of the main things I look for in any actor is personality, and man, those guys, it just oozes out of them,” Levin said.

Mahomes started appearing in TV spots during his 2018 MVP season, his first as a full-time starter. He quickly evolved as an NFL star, and as a sports celebrity pitchman, although some of his earlier jobs showed rough edges.

“Here is an extraordinary athlete who is totally comfortable and focused on the field,” Laird said. “However, scripted lines on a commercial set didn’t come naturally to him.”

Like learning how to read NFL defenses, it became a challenge Mahomes intended to win.

“Definitely a lot more comfortable with it,” Mahomes said. “You understand the process of it, how the cameras have to be set, (things) like that. I’m not going to say I’m top tier yet. But I think I’ve done better (over) the years.

“I’ll continue to do them, especially with State Farm, and I’ll try to keep Head & Shoulders as long (as they) let me keep it if I cut my hair.”

Laird was the casting director on commercials with Mahomes for State Farm and Head & Shoulders along with Hy-Vee, Community America, T-Mobile and others. As with football, comfort came with repetition.

“With the passage of time and experience, Patrick has gained a lot of confidence and is clearly coming into his own,” Laird said.

The ad offers keep rolling in. According to iSpot.tv, a TV ad catalog and measuring service, commercials including Mahomes have had more than 173,000 airings over the past 30 days.

If Mahomes needed time to develop in front of the camera, Kelce “was built for those moments,” Mahomes said.

Kelce had become a minor celebrity outside of football with his 2016 reality dating show “Catching Kelce,” and Kelce said he’s always felt at home under the bright lights of a football field or stage.

“Home videos, man, I had that camera on me at all times to see what silly stuff I’d do next,” Kelce said. “I’ve always been comfortable in the rooms I’ve been in, and I’ve been able to look into a camera with ease.”

That was never more apparent than when Kelce was the guest host for “Saturday Night Live” last March, and played to superb reviews.

“This week’s SNL wasn’t just funny; its funniness in the face of unlikely odds and high stakes for the team elevated it into a triumphant underdog story,” wrote Joe Berkowitz, entertainment reporter for Vulture.

Laird said Kelce has “an ease about him that he carries into his commercial appearances where he can comfortably be himself — and is therefore likable and relatable.”

And confidence isn’t an issue for someone whose attempt to give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet started a relationship heard ‘round the world.

A willingness to poke fun at themselves also serves them well, Levin said. Whether it’s Mahomes preparing for a jazz bath or Kelce moping about his “Maauto” jersey in State Farm ads, the athletes show a human side.

“We love people who are confidence but mixed with humility,” Levin said.

Reid is the perfect example. In perhaps his most playful commercial, he sits in a fast-food restaurant with Mahomes and Jake from State Farm (actor Kevin Miles) as they explain bundling home and auto insurance.

“Kind of like a combo meal,” Mahomes says.

Reid snatches french fries from Jake and a burger from Mahomes. Feigning confusion, Reid needs another example as he walks his fingers toward Mahomes’ “nuggies.”

Hmm. Explain it again with those nuggies.

Laird was the casting director for that ad and wouldn’t be surprised if Reid added that final touch on his own.

“I wasn’t there so I can’t say for sure, but I expect that coach Reid had something to do with sneaking his fingers across the table,” Laird said.

(Reid was recently asked if he’s more recognized because of the ad: “I’d probably say yes. I don’t want to stand up here and sound like a movie star. I’m not very good at that, but I appreciate people enjoying nuggies.”)

Spots like that, involving multiple Chiefs, double the fun, with Mahomes usually playing a drier, more straightforward role. In a recent Subway commercial, Mahomes touts his new “favorite sidekick,” a chocolate chip cookie, as Kelce forlornly looks on.

The Chiefs have mastered messaging with simplicity and humor.

“What they’re giving us is fun and entertaining,” Levin said. “It’s not like we’re asking them to be dramatic actors, digging into the depth of their souls.

“The commercials don’t require a lot of subtext of analysis. They’re quick, they’re fun and very relatable. I think they work really well. We can’t get enough of these guys.”