When Sports Illustrated Swimsuit tapped Brittany Mahomes for the 2026 digital cover, the internet collectively lost it — and honestly? Same. Shot on Captiva Island in Fort Myers, Florida, this February shoot delivered one of the boldest swimwear moments of the year. The Kansas City Current co-owner and mom of three showed up to the Florida coast with a message: she's not just Patrick Mahomes' wife — she's the main character.
Photo via Reality Tea / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
The Cover Look: Red Bikini, All Her
For the digital cover, Mahomes wore a red bikini accented with slim pale yellow contrast straps — a clean, high-cut triangle top paired with matching bottoms that highlighted her athletic frame without trying too hard. The Kansas City energy is right there in the colorway (yes, you see it), but the confidence was entirely hers. Hair loose and beach-ready, minimal makeup, natural tan. Katherine Goguen photographed the shoot and captured exactly what the moment called for: someone who has earned this.
This was Mahomes' second SI Swimsuit appearance — she made her debut in 2024 — but 2026 felt different. She'd just had her third child, daughter Golden Raye. She's running a professional soccer team. She's building businesses. The cover wasn't just about the bikini; it was about showing up fully as herself. That kind of confidence reads off the screen.
Joining her for the full feature were Christen Goff, Haley Cavinder, Ronika Love, Claire Kittle, and Normani — a lineup that felt intentional. Athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, all owning their swimwear moments in Fort Myers sun.
Photo via Reality Tea / Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (photo credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Latex Moment (Yes, Really)
Then came the group shot that had everyone talking: Mahomes in a black latex swimsuit, hair in a top knot, owning the beach in a way that latex simply has no business doing on a Florida shoreline. Paired with soft, barely-there makeup by artist Babi Moura and effortless waves styled by Paul Norton, the whole look said "I don't actually need to try this hard — but I wanted to." We respect it completely.
The contrast between the clean, sporty red cover look and the edgier latex group shot showed two sides of Mahomes that her fans already know well: the athletic powerhouse and the woman who has fun with fashion. Both feel authentic. Both went viral. Neither needs Patrick to be interesting.
Get the Brittany Mahomes Bold Bikini Look
Love the energy? The bold contrast-trim aesthetic that defined Brittany's red bikini moment is exactly what the Audi Swim Bow Babe Collection is built on — clean triangle tops, bold contrast detail, and a fit that looks like you know what you're doing. And unlike designer swimwear from Brittany's previous Frankies Bikinis collab, this entire look comes in under $60.
- Bow Babe Contrast Top — Black ($17.99) — triangle top with white contrast trim, adjustable ties, Luxe-Flex fabric
- Bow Babe Contrast Bottoms — Black ($17.99) — cheeky-cut, high-quality nylon-spandex, fully lined
- Bow Babe Contrast Top — Pink ($17.99) — if you want to channel the full Kansas City red energy, our pink is the move
- Golden Hour Belly Chain ($12.99) — the SI Swimsuit shoots always have that little extra accessory moment
Full black Bow Babe set + belly chain = $48.97. The Frankies Bikinis equivalent runs $200+. The confidence is the same price either way — it's free. For a deeper look at bold string bikini styling, check out our 2026 guide to the sexiest bikinis — including the exact styles you'd see on an SI Swimsuit shoot.
Why This Cover Matters
It's easy to dismiss SI Swimsuit as just another celebrity photo shoot, but what Mahomes did with this cover was something different. She walked onto that Florida beach as a woman who runs a soccer team, raises three kids, and has watched her husband win multiple Super Bowls — and she made the story about her. That shift matters. The 18-25 generation that grew up watching Brittany be the loudest person in Arrowhead Stadium now gets to see her as something beyond the stands: a businesswoman, an athlete, a style icon in her own right.
For more athlete confidence moments, check out our coverage of Kayla Nicole's confidence era — another athlete using swimwear to tell her own story on her own terms. The pattern is real, and we're here for it.
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