Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes used to be fierce competitors on the football field. They played against each other six times, including a matchup in Super Bowl LV where Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs.
It was Brady’s seventh Super Bowl title, further enhancing his status as the best quarterback in NFL history. The only player with a chance to catch Brady in the legacy conversation is Mahomes, who, at 29 years old, already has three Super Bowl championships and two league MVPs.
There’s certainly a lot of respect between Brady and Mahomes. And the Chiefs quarterback really appreciates the relationship he has with Brady and the advice he’s shared.
“I’ve actually talked to Tom a good amount this offseason. It’s cool that he wants to give me advice,” Mahomes told Kay Adams on Monday’s Up and Adams Show. “He doesn’t have to be like that. He’s such a good dude. I have so much respect for him. I’ll take any advice that he gives me.”
What advice, exactly, has Brady given Mahomes?
The Chiefs quarterback didn’t get too specific, but he mentioned that Brady has stressed the importance of authenticity.
“I’ve got to keep a secret,” Mahomes said. “But he always talks about being yourself. He thinks – which I truly believe, too — is that guys can spot when you’re not authentic and you’re not putting in the work. That’s something he did every day and that’s why guys respect him so much.
“That’s all I’m going to do for the rest of my career and I feel like I’ve done so far. I’m always myself. No matter if you like me or don’t like me, you know I’m giving everything I can to win football games.”
Mahomes and the Chiefs were denied a historic third consecutive title in February when they lost 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Losing a Super Bowl can be a great source of motivation. Brady lost twice in the Super Bowl during the middle of his career with the New England Patriots but ended up winning the Lombardi Trophy four more times (in five appearances) before retiring after the 2022 campaign.
Mahomes is ready to put that loss behind him and focus on getting back to a championship level.
“I’m honestly just ready to play football again,” Mahomes told Adams. “Whenever you lose, you kind of have this taste in your mouth that you want to go out there and revenge that or whatever you want to say.
“At the same time, I feel like I’ve had to sit back and just listen to people talk and talk and I’m like, ‘Let’s just play football and just handle it all out there.’ I don’t really want to talk about it. I just want to go out and show who we are as the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Michael Holley is heat checking Henry McKenna’s claim that the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl window is closing
