Henry McKenna
NFL Reporter
Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have long been competitors — even now, as Mahomes chases Brady’s records. But that’s not stopping them from developing a strong friendship.
Earlier this offseason, Brady picked Mahomes as the quarterback who could match the legend’s immense accomplishments. But Mahomes knows Brady’s thoughts firsthand because, as it turns out, the GOAT and the Kansas City Chiefs QB have been in touch.
“I’ve actually talked to Tom a good amount this offseason,” Mahomes told the “Up and Adams Show.” “And it’s cool that he wants to give me advice. He didn’t have to be like that. He’s such a good dude, and I have so much respect for him, and I’ll take any advice he gives me.”
Mahomes went 3-3 vs. Brady in six games, though the GOAT won both postseason matchups — the 2019 AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LV. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
In February, the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LIX resoundingly to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the fifth Super Bowl appearance of Mahomes’ career. He has three Lombardi Trophies to show for those appearances. His other loss came at the hands of Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And though Brady has the most Super Bowl wins of any quarterback in NFL history (seven), he also suffered three defeats, two to the New York Giants and one to the Eagles.
Brady knows some of the difficulties Mahomes is managing in the wake of an emotionally challenging loss.
“It hurts. It’s gonna hurt for a while,” Mahomes said after Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
Mahomes reacts in the third quarter against the Eagles during Super Bowl LIX last February. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
It was the type of loss that, frankly, puts Mahomes in a difficult position to someday eclipse Brady’s greatness. Brady has more than double the Super Bowl wins. Brady has a head-to-head win in the Super Bowl over Mahomes — and a head-to-head win in the AFC Championship Game from his time with the New England Patriots. But it seems that Brady is among those trying to lift Mahomes up from the 40-22 loss to Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles.
Mahomes wouldn’t divulge everything about the conversations between the two greats, but he shared some of Brady’s wisdom.
“I gotta keep them secrets, but he always talks about being yourself,” Mahomes told Kay Adams. “He thinks that, which I truly believe, too, is that guys can spot when you’re not authentic and you’re not putting in the work, and that’s something that he did every single day. That’s why guys respected him so much. And that’s all I’m going to do for the rest of my career.”
Earlier this year, Brady revealed why he thinks Mahomes is the one who could duplicate his accomplishments.
“The great players that I’ve played with, Patrick has their mentality,” Brady said. “He has the will to win. He’s got a desire every time he takes the field to be a great leader. I listen to what guys say after they win; I listen to what guys say after they lose. Everything he says is the right thing.”
Before Super Bowl LIX, Brady & Mahomes talked dynasties, QB greatness
For his part, the Chiefs QB indicated he’s been thinking about legacy for a long time.
“I think that is always in the back of your mind, even at the beginning of my career,” Mahomes said. He added later: “Having Tom, a guy like that, say that, it just motivates me even more.”
Mahomes told Adams he’s looking forward to the 2025 season and hopes the Chiefs will focus on “having fun.” That harkened back to the 2023 season, which he said “wasn’t fun” for K.C.’s offense. And given how much the Chiefs struggled in 2024, it’s possible Mahomes didn’t have a whole lot of fun during their rough patches.
But after Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes noted that the Chiefs were at their best when they attacked Philly downfield with Xavier Worthy, who had eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
Worthy is set to build off his rookie season. Rashee Rice is set to return from a knee injury that halted his sophomore campaign in Week 4. And veteran Hollywood Brown is healthy after an injury-riddled first season with Kansas City. The Chiefs also drafted left tackle Josh Simmons in Round 1 to address their biggest weakness last year, and they selected receiver Jalen Royals in the fourth round to build out an even more versatile set of weapons. Travis Kelce is still Travis Kelce, even if he’s entering his age-36 season.
If these weapons stay healthy, this season could be the most fun Mahomes has had in years.
Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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