Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has been compared to former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady since his first season as a starter in 2018. Those comparisons have only intensified as Mahomes has continued to win Super Bowls and MVPs . Which of the two players will be recognized as the Greatest of All Time? Brady's comments have now added a new chapter to the GOAT debate as Mahomes faces criticism for his stats through the first five weeks of the 2024 NFL season.
Mahomes often recalls his first time interacting with Brady. It happened after the 2018 AFC title game when Brady sought out Mahomes in the Kansas City locker room after the crushing loss. The two spoke about the moment they shared during an interview on FOX's NFL pregame show.
"I think for me, the biggest thing was, obviously, you're Tom (Brady), man," Mahomes said. "You've done this for a long time, and you had that thought process and that moment to come into the locker room and you looked at me and said, 'You're doing it the right way. Keep doing it like that, and you'll have success.'"
Brady really meant it, too.
He's seen the evolution of Patrick Mahomes from that 2018 season to now. No. 15 has gone from being a big-play and highlight-making machine to doing just enough to help his team gut out a tough win. The numbers haven't been the best, but the Chiefs haven't lost a game since December of last season. It's a scenario all too familiar for Brady because he's lived it before.
"I think it is, I call it two words, competitive stamina," Brady said, on the FOX pregame show after his interview with Mahomes. "And I think the hard part about playing against Patrick (Mahomes) is he knows that he's got a great defense. He's going to try to make all the right plays early in the game. He's going to take what the defense gives him. And I think what we've seen a lot from him this year is when he needs it, he's going to make the plays, but he's doing such a good job managing the game, and part of that's the evolution of being a great quarterback in the NFL. He's been that since the time that he entered the league, from '18, '19, '20. That was one of the offenses that was 40 points a game. He was putting up monster touchdown numbers. But the difference is the team's evolved, it has changed.
"They've lost some of their weapons, and because of that, he's turned into a guy who is there to perform when it matters the most. And to him, it doesn't matter whether it's four touchdowns, he just wants to get the win and so much. That's ultimately how I evolved as a player. It became less about am I in the MVP race? Am I going to be a pro bowler? Am I going to be an All-Pro it came to me. Am I good enough for my team to win today? Have I evolved at a point as a player where I'm going to do what I need to do, regardless of what it takes, any given day? And that's rarefied air because that gives you a chance to improve every single week, every single year. That's the constant motivation. Was I the best player I could be for this team, regardless of circumstance, regardless of whether Rashee Rice is here or not, regardless of whether we lose a great player like Tyreek Hill? He's going to show up every day to work. He's so dependable, so consistent, and I really look forward to seeing him play today."
It doesn't matter that Mahomes is having a career-worst start to a season with 1,235 passing yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2024. He's showing up in some big moments and making the necessary plays to win football games. And he's doing it with some major injuries to his expected cast of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
There have been a lot of questions about unselfish play this season with players like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, but Brady is saying that we're also seeing that from Mahomes. Maybe there will come a time when the team needs Mahomes to air it out and score 40 points in a game, but for now, it's not about the style points. It's about winning football games and giving the team its best chance to end up at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans come February.
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