Tom Brady interrupted Patrick Mahomes‘ rapidly-growing Super Bowl ring collection, and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback knows it.
“To me it will always be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl,” Mahomes told NFL Network on Sunday after a 25-22 Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Mahomes reached his third Super Bowl win faster than Brady, the last quarterback before Mahomes to win back-to-back titles. The New England Patriots achieved that with Brady almost 20 years ago in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Brady most recently led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 whipping of the Chiefs in the 2020 Super Bowl before he retired in 2023. Therefore, Brady wins the “greatest of all time” comparison as Mahomes sees it.
Patrick Mahomes ties Tom Brady and Troy Aikman for the most career #SuperBowl wins by a QB younger than 30, with 3 wins.
“But it gives me something to strive for every single day — chasing greatness. If I’m ever tired, if I don’t want to work, I know I have to do it in order to be in moments like this,” Mahomes said.
In 20 seasons, Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Lombardi Trophies. Brady then won his seventh amid a three-year stint with Buccaneers, and he capped his career with droves of passing records along the way.
Tom Brady: ‘There’s Nothing Patrick Can Do’
Mahomes’ rise doesn’t bother Brady, who has been publicly supportive of the Chiefs superstar.
“I think that there’s nothing that Patrick can do, in my opinion, that takes away from what I tried to accomplish in my career,” Brady said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on January 30. “And there’s nothing that I did that can take away from what he’s trying to accomplish.”
“All I tried to be was the best I can be,” Brady added. “Even though I had sporting idols, I could never be Steve Young, I could never be Joe Montana. I could never be Dan Marino or John Elway. Those were my childhood idols and they had incredible careers. And they put as much as they could into their careers, and I really respected them for that. I just tried to do the same thing.”
Likewise, Brady didn’t sound bothered at the news of Mahomes and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce breaking the quarterback-receiver playoff touchdown record. Brady and former Patriots and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski held the record at 15 before Mahomes and Kelce broke it in the AFC Playoffs this year with their 16th.
“Believe me, if anyone can go out there and win seven Super Bowls, I have so much respect for them,” Brady said. “I understand how difficult it is. I will congratulate them and I’m going to give whoever it is a big hug.”
Tom Brady Meme Goes Viral After Chiefs Super Bowl Win
Brady retired a year ago, but unretirement rumors abounded — even amid his plans with broadcasting for FOX in 2024. Nonetheless, NFL Memes on “X”, formerly Twitter, had fun with the idea as Mahomes chases Brady’s Super Bowl ring total.
“Tom Brady seeing Patrick Mahomes get his 3rd ring in 5 years,” NFL Memes wrote.
Tom Brady seeing Patrick Mahomes get his 3rd ring in 5 years
In reality, the Buccaneers look to lock up Baker Mayfield for the 2024 season. Brady would need to find a new team, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s pitch to Brady will likely have less leverage this year than it did in 2023.
Brady looks content to be in Super Bowl commercials on his way to the broadcast booth instead of ring chasing.
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Patrick Mahomes Sends Message to Tom Brady After Super Bowl