Tom Brady shares what he believes is Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ greatest attribute
The Chiefs on Sunday will play in their fifth consecutive AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium, and there have been many highlights through the years.
Ask any fan which of the first four is their favorite and most would point to the win over the Titans in 2020 or the following year when the Chiefs stomped the Bills.
But the first was the best game for a neutral observer. The Chiefs trailed New England 14-0 at halftime, went ahead in the fourth quarter and there were four lead changes in the final 7:45 of regulation.
The Patriots won the overtime coin toss, scored a touchdown and left Arrowhead with a 37-31 victory in the 2019 game.
After the trophy celebration in the Patriots locker room, quarterback Tom Brady made a point of seeking out Patrick Mahomes, whose first season as a starter ended that night.
Mahomes threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, amazing numbers considering the Chiefs had 37 total yards at halftime. But it wasn’t Mahomes’ passing skills that caught Brady’s eye that night.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid joined the podcast “Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray,” and Brady talked about the victory four years ago at frigid Arrowhead and what he saw of Mahomes, the team leader.
“I really love watching Patrick play, obviously, because I appreciate what it takes to be that type of leader that he is every day for his team and more so even when I met him the first time in the locker room after our game, coach Reid. Why did I do that? Because I respect him as a leader, not just how you throw the football,” Brady said.
“A lot of people can throw the football. In my view, it’s a little bit overrated. What’s really important is do the guys play with you and for you, and do they love you and do they respect you? And if they do that, then I know you’re gonna be a great player, ‘cause they’re watching you do everything. They’re watching how you sit in the cafeteria. They’re watching how you interact with the people who you walk in the door with. So when they love you and respect you, you know you got someone great. Now you add some of his physical traits, that’s a whole other thing.”
Mahomes also impressed Brady on Saturday. Despite being hobbled by a high-ankle sprain, Mahomes was furious about having to leave the game to have the injury diagnosed.
In the second half, Mahomes completed 10 of 15 for 111 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs beat the Jaguars 27-20.
“He’s a tough guy and I told him this the other night, I said I’m just really happy for you. And that’s what champions are made of at the end of the day,” Brady said.
“I really respect Patrick for how he came out there in the second half and how pissed he was when he got taken out by coach Reid. I’m sure he had a word for you, but to watch him come out in the second half and play great, that was awesome to watch.”
Reid talked about Mahomes’ reaction to being pulled from the game for precautionary reasons and Brady’s visit to Mahomes four years ago.
“Well, one of the all-time class acts is what you did with him, coming into the locker room and talking to him when he was just a young buck there,” Reid said. “Pure class on that. I appreciated it as a coach, cause you need to get reinforcement from your peers, for sure. And nobody better than you to do that.
“And then listen, I mean, as a coach, you feel the same way that Tom’s saying. I mean, you love the grit, but sometimes you gotta try to protect the player from the player, too.
“These guys are wired different. I mean, you can hear it in Tom’s voice, they wanna rip your heart out every possible way they can, jump on it, squeeze it and everything else. And that’s the way Patrick was at that time. But I just wanted to make sure that son of a gun (ankle) wasn’t broken because it was kind of an ugly look right there. But once he got it checked out, he was good to go and he’s doing well now. So he’s in a good place.”
