KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Patrick Mahomes was in the locker room and dealing with the abrupt end of the Kansas City Chiefs season following the defeat in the 2018 AFC Championship Game overtime to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots when a visitor entered.
It was Brady, who, before leaving to start preparations for the Super Bowl, wanted to provide some incentive for his younger opponent, then in his first season as an NFL fullback.
Mahomes said on Monday that Brady’s visit and encouragement meant a lot to him.
“It was important because it showed that I was doing things right, ” said Mahomes as he and the Chiefs continued their preparation for Sunday’s Super Bowl LV against Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.” As a young defender in this league, you show up early and try to put in time and work. … He said he respected what I was doing and how I was playing on the field and the type of person I was, kind of put a mark on me that I needed to get in and be even better to be able to reach the Super Bowl. ”
The Chiefs would next season reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years. There, they beat the San Francisco 49ers.
Mahomes on Sunday will try to do something that Brady did earlier in his career, which is winning consecutive championships. He will have to pass through Brady, who has a quarterback record six Super Bowl titles, all with the Patriots.
“He’s the same as I am,” said Mahomes. “He will leave everything he has in the field every time he is there. He doesn’t care what it takes. He doesn’t care if he has to throw 400 yards or 100 yards. He wants to win. I feel that I have the same mentality. I just want to win, no matter what happens or how it happens. “
Mahomes, 25, grew up watching Brady, 43, win those championships with the Patriots. Mahomes said there was a lot to admire about Brady’s game, other than his success.
“There are a ton,” said Mahomes when asked what talents Brady has that he would like to put in his own game. “The way he is able to dissect his defenses before the snap is something I really admire. I’m trying to get to that level. The way he is able to move inside his pocket and be able to put his feet back and be completely calm and still play straight for the money, no matter who is around you, is something I can continue to work on. As I continue in my career, I will try to do what I can to watch the tape about him, because he is doing the right way. You can tell by how many Super Bowl championships he has and the rings on his fingers. “
Mahomes would narrow the gap between him and Brady in terms of Super Bowl titles to four, with the Chiefs’ victory on Sunday. He should have a chance to earn more. He said he would like to play while Brady, who started his NFL career with the Patriots in 2000.
“I want to play as long as they leave me,” he said. “To do this, I have to take care of my body as much as I take care of everything else on the field. If you want to practice this sport for a long time, however physical it is, you have to invest as much time in your body as in any other. I have learned more and more in my young career so far about what I can do to stay available and healthy and try to be in the best nutritional state possible. I feel I can improve. “