You should hear what Patrick Mahomes had to say about Tom Brady

Patrick Mahomes will poke a bit enjoyable at Tom Brady.

He quipped after successful the AFC Championship sport about going through Brady in “his a hundred and fiftieth Tremendous Bowl.” He joked final week the way it appeared the entire 25-some years he’s been alive that Brady had been recognized for enjoying soccer effectively — which wasn’t far off given Brady was a school freshman in September 1995.

However the respect and reverence Mahomes has for Brady — regardless that the Chiefs and Bucs quarterbacks’ groups shall be battling in Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl — is sort of severe.

“In case you’re a younger athlete, and also you’re taking part in any sport, and also you don’t look as much as guys like Tom Brady, you’re loopy,” Mahomes stated Monday on a media Zoom name. “The man that’s had success yr in and yr out, continues to make himself higher and never be glad with the place he’s at. He’s the kind of greatness that you just try to be, to be like and to be in the direction of as you develop up.

“I grew up watching him play, and he’s nonetheless right here taking part in, and he’s nonetheless on the prime of the sport. So for me, I would like to observe him and watch the issues that he does on and off the sphere in an effort to work out one of the simplest ways to make me the perfect participant attainable.”

Clearly, Mahomes is fairly good already, having led the Chiefs to 1 AFC Championship Recreation (a loss to Brady’s Patriots), a Tremendous Bowl championship and now an opportunity to repeat in his first three seasons as a starter.

One of many main narratives this week is how Mahomes is positioning himself to probably problem Brady’s standing as the best of all time, with 9 earlier Tremendous Bowl appearances and 6 championships to show it.

“It’s clearly actually thrilling to listen to, however you perceive that you just’re actually distant,” Mahomes stated. “There’s a lot stuff that may occur on this league and this sport that each one I can deal with is making an attempt to do no matter I can to win the subsequent sport that I’m taking part in.

“So it’s going to be a fantastic alternative for me to get to play towards Tom, an all-time nice, the GOAT, every part like that. However on the finish of the day, all I can do is put together myself to play the perfect soccer I can each single day I get the chance to.”

Mahomes’ potential to throw on the run, to show seemingly damaged performs into massive good points, is a ability that units him other than Brady and most different quarterbacks. It’s a product of Mahomes’ outstanding athleticism, a present, partly, from his father, Pat, who pitched elements of 11 seasons within the majors.

However there are issues Brady, who performs extra of a conventional quarterback type, does that makes Mahomes envious.

“There’s a ton,” Mahomes stated. “The way in which he’s in a position to dissect defenses earlier than the snap is one thing that I actually admire, that I’m making an attempt to get to that stage. The way in which he’s in a position to transfer inside the pocket and have the ability to reset his ft and be utterly calm and nonetheless make the throw proper on the cash, irrespective of who’s round him, is one thing that I’ve to proceed to work on.

“And as I proceed in my profession, I’m going to nonetheless attempt to do no matter I can to observe the tape on him as a result of he’s doing it the precise means. And you’ll inform by what number of Tremendous Bowl championships he has and the rings which can be on his fingers.”

The 2 have talked, most famously when Brady came to visit to the Chiefs’ lockerroom to supply some phrases of encouragement after that 2019 AFC title sport, which Mahomes significantly appreciated.

Mahomes stated one factor they positively have in widespread is their deal with successful.

“I believe the most important factor is the aggressive drive,” Mahomes stated. “He’s the identical means as I’m — he’s going to depart every part he has on the sphere each single time he’s on the market to win. And he doesn’t care what it takes. He doesn’t care if he has to throw for 400 yards or he has to throw for 100 yards; he desires to win. And I really feel like I’ve that very same mentality; I simply wish to win it doesn’t matter what, it doesn’t matter what occurs, and the way it occurs.”

With Brady, 43, signed for only one extra yr, and one other regular-season assembly unlikely anytime quickly below the NFL scheduling format, Sunday seemingly could possibly be the final time they face off. Within the first 4 conferences, they’ve every gained two.

Mahomes stated there may be loads of motivation, together with the possibility to be the primary workforce to repeat as Tremendous Bowl champs since Brady’s Patriots gained the 2004-05 video games (beating an Eagles workforce led by present Chiefs coach Andy Reid).

“In case you’re not fired as much as play within the Tremendous Bowl then I don’t know what else could make you get any extra fired up,” Mahomes stated. “I imply, to have the ability to play within the Tremendous Bowl and attempt to repeat is sufficient in its personal.

“They stated that the final sport that we performed (in November in Tampa) was going to be the final time that we performed. So I’m positive he’ll have one thing to say about that, making an attempt to make (extra) Tremendous Bowls. And I’ll be making an attempt to make extra, too.”

And that’s no joke.

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