The lead-up to the Super Bowl LV rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been a mix of trash talk and mutual respect.
The quarterback matchup has delivered on the latter. Patrick Mahomes II and Tom Brady have had nothing but high praise for one another ahead of what could be their final head-to-head NFL face-off.
The latest moment of admiration came after Mahomes told reporters that he’d consider playing until age 45 if he was still playing at a “very high level” like Brady is — which led to some wisdom from “the GOAT.”
Tom Brady Offers Patrick Mahomes Advice on Playing at 45
Bucs media was quick to get a follow-up from Brady on September 29, relaying Mahomes’ response about wanting to continue his career to 45 “as long as I can [still] play,” and asking TB12 to share what it takes to get there.
Tom Brady on Patrick Mahomes: “Everything he’s done in his young career has been nothing short of exceptional.”
“Obviously, Patrick, what he’s done in his young career has been nothing short of exceptional,” Brady praised. “I’ve been very fortunate with an amazing support team and all the work that I do with Alex [Guerrero] to prepare my body. There’s still a lot mentally [and] emotionally that go into it, and as you know, as you get older the challenges become a little bit — there’s just more responsibility in your life. Navigating those things, that’s part of it too. All you can do is the best that you can do based on the circumstances that are presented in front of you and try to give your best. When you commit to the team, you do your best you can do, and I think that I’ve always tried to be a really dependable consistent player for the team. Try to show up every day and do a good job.”
Reading between the lines, Brady’s advice centered around juggling your professional career and your home life as an athlete, especially when you have children as the pair of superstar QBs both do. Of course, Brady’s little ones are a bit older than Mahomes — who has a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a son on the way.
At some point, being a father does take time away from being a dedicated teammate and professional. It’s not easy being great in a competitive league like the NFL and needless to say, it takes a ton of effort and conditioning over the offseason too.
“I think it’s always important to have goals,” Brady voiced. “You should always have the ability to plan for things in your life and things you set out for.”
If Mahomes ever does play until he’s 45, it will take the unwavering support of his wife, Brittany, as well as the burning passion and desire that Brady has displayed all these years. Once that flame goes out, your career isn’t far behind.
QB Numbers Heading Into Week 4
After nearly retiring over the offseason, Brady’s 2022 campaign has been a challenge in the early stages. The legendary passer has lost several integral offensive cogs to injury and suspension — including center Ryan Jensen, wide receivers Chris Godwin and Julio Jones, running back Giovanni Bernard, and number one target Mike Evans (for one game) — but he should get a few of his WRs back against Kansas City.
With all the changing parts on the offense, Brady’s stats are a little below his mean in several areas. Most notable is his quarterback rating, which is down at 89.2 (career average is 97.5 with a 102.1 in 2021).
On the contrary, Mahomes’ 2022 QB rating is near the highest it’s ever been (112.1) entering the prime of his career. The Chiefs superstar also has Brady beat in passing yardage, touchdowns, first downs, and completion percentage among other stats.
There’s no question that Mahomes is playing better football right now — as he should be at age 27 — but you can never count out one of the greatest competitors to ever play the sport. Enjoy this one on Sunday, it could finally mark the end of an era for Chiefs Kingdom.
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Tom Brady Reacts to Patrick Mahomes Wanting to Play Until Age 45