John Mateer admits he was frustrated by Chipotle worker spreading injury information: 'It's not my favorite thing'

Much of the storyline around the injury for Oklahoma’s John Mateer last month ended up playing out online, namely on various message boards. That included a thread that Mateer not only confirmed was true, but one that he still isn’t all that happy about.

Appearing on ‘The Hard Count’ on Wednesday in an interview with On3’s J.D. PicKell, Mateer said that the rumor threads about him returning against Texas according to what he said to a Chipotle worker was real. That bothered him a lot, though, to the point that he apparently doesn’t go out to eat as much anymore in Norman.

NEW: Oklahoma QB John Mateer tells @jdpickell the Chipotle message board rumor was real😭

“That was me not realizing who I can trust and who I can't trust… I didn't think he would go and tell the whole world about it.”

Mateer uses DoorDash now. pic.twitter.com/jBaSsMiIZN

— On3 (@On3sports) November 6, 2025

“No, that was me not realizing who I could trust and who I can’t trust,” said Mateer. “Yeah, it was real. I didn’t think he would go and tell the whole world about it. That’s not my favorite thing somebody has ever done, on the other side when I told him. But, that’s my fault. Like, I shouldn’t say anything, shouldn’t be, like, just throwing my business out there. But, yeah, it was real.”

“I got DoorDash. I don’t really go in public a whole lot to get food anymore. It’s not that I don’t enjoy talking to people, but it’s – sometimes, you know, I need to chill and have my own space,” Mateer said.

Coming off the injury to his hand, needing a surgery on this thumb, at the end of September, the status of Mateer became one of the bigger stories in college football. That led to plenty of headlines on the rumor mill, whether it be this from the worker at Chipotle, who said Mateer told him he was “100% going to play” against the Longhorns, or those involving Dr. Steven Shin, over his three-week absence where, because of a timely bye and schedule, he missed just one game for the Sooners.

Mateer, a Heisman candidate, if not favorite, at the time he was sidelined, has steadily gotten better as he gets further out from his surgery. It is still taking time, but he’s at 60.5% completion for 183.5 passing yards per game with two touchdowns and four interceptions, while also running for 29 yards per game and another score over the last four for OU. Again, it’s not what we was over the first third of their season, but, as he comes off another bye, Mateer will hopefully be entering that final third as healthy as he has been since.

That all said, Mateer obviously doesn’t resent the people and fans around their town as a whole because of what got shared that night at the Chipotle. He has still, that instance aside, very much enjoyed all they’ve done for him during his short time in Norman.

“It’s awesome. You know, the fans? They’re great, and they recognize me and ask for pictures and tell me how much they appreciate me. It’s all good stuff, you know, and I appreciate it, having the influence and the attention that I get. It’s awesome,” said Mateer. “But, sometimes, I just, you know, need my own time.”