**Caitlin Clark Snubs Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce with Potentiall Controversial Pick**
*May 12, 2025 — Indianapolis, IN*
In her first appearance on the wildly popular **New Heights** podcast, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark shocked listeners — and ignited a firestorm on social media — when she named Green Bay Packers quarterback **Jordan Love**, rather than reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes or perennial All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, as her choice for the NFL’s “most exciting player to watch” in 2025. The remark, delivered casually during light-hearted quarterback debates with hosts Travis and Jason Kelce, immediately set off a flurry of debate among football fans, analysts, and even some NFL stars themselves.
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### “I just love watching the underdog story”
Midway through the episode, Jason Kelce asked Clark to weigh in on the ongoing “Mahomes vs. Kelce” conversation: Was Kansas City’s dynamic duo still the premier one-two punch in the league? Clark acknowledged their incredible résumé — “I mean, they’re back-to-back tag teams of championships” — before pausing.
> **“Honestly, if I had to pick one name that gets me out of my seat right now, it’s Jordan Love,”** Clark said.
> **“The way he can extend plays, buy time, then absolutely unload downfield — it reminds me of those buzzer-beater moments in basketball. I know Mahomes and Kelce are legends, but I’m obsessed with watching Love light it up.”**
Her enthusiasm for the second-year starter wasn’t based solely on his electric arm talent. Clark lauded Love’s own narrative arc — “a guy who was third on the depth chart, sat two years, finally got his shot and is thriving” — and suggested that his trajectory mirrored the kind of “comeback” arcs that basketball fans live for.
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### Backlash from Chiefs Kingdom
Within minutes, #CaitlinClarkChoice began trending on X (formerly Twitter), with a near-even split between fans applauding her fresh take and die-hards accusing her of “disrespecting the Chiefs legacy.” Kansas City supporters and sports talk hosts piled on:
* **“Mahomes overcame a Super Bowl loss and STILL throws for 5,000 yards. That’s gotta count for something!”** — former NFL cornerback and analyst Richard Sherman
* **“You just can’t ignore Kelce’s impact — he’s the best TE of this generation.”** — ESPN’s Laura Rutledge
Some even questioned whether Clark, still in the early stages of her professional career, was sufficiently “informed” about the nuances of NFL playmaking.
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### Support from Packers’ Locker Room
Meanwhile, in Green Bay, reactions were decidedly warmer. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur seized on Clark’s comments as “a huge compliment” and praised her “competitive spirit.” Jordan Love himself, asked about the remark at mini-camp, grinned and said, “If Caitlin Clark’s watching my film, I’m doing something right.”
Veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins added, “She’s earned the right to have an opinion. I love that she’s bold enough to pick a guy like Love. It shows her basketball mentality — she goes with the player who’s the most fun to watch, not necessarily the one with the most trophies.”
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### Why the pick matters
Clark’s mainstream crossover appeal has been well-documented since her record-shattering college days and subsequent No. 1 WNBA draft selection. But this moment reveals more than celebrity curiosity; it underscores the growing influence of women’s sports stars in broader pop-culture and sports discourse. When a figure of Clark’s profile — already the most-watched rookie in WNBA history — weighs in on NFL debates, networks and podcasts take note, sponsors perk up, and younger fans who may straddle both basketball and football tune in.
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### The broader conversation
Her comments have sparked a number of wider discussions:
1. **Generational preferences:** Are newer fans — especially those cultivated by social-media platforms and highlight reels — more drawn to young, ascending talents than established superstars?
2. **Cross-sport influence:** How are elite athletes like Clark shaping narratives outside their primary discipline?
3. **Media dynamics:** Will Mahomes and Kelce now seek to respond directly, perhaps even inviting Clark back for a rematch of sorts on “New Heights”?
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### What’s next?
As the WNBA playoffs loom and the NFL offseason marches forward, one thing is clear: Caitlin Clark’s voice carries weight far beyond the hardwood. Whether you agree with her Jordan Love endorsement or side with the Chiefs icons, her “controversial pick” has reaffirmed that the crossover between women’s basketball and the NFL is alive, well, and brimming with spirited debate.
**Stay tuned** for further fallout — including the possibility of a rare “Mahomes vs. Love” feature debate on ESPN’s *NFL Live* — and be prepared for every highlight reel, tweet, and locker-room soundbite to be dissected as both Caitlin Clark and
the NFL’s brightest stars jockey for narrative supremacy.
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