As Patrick Mahomes was kickstarting his Chiefs tenure, the greatest quarterback of all time was putting the finishing touches on his own NFL career.
Mahomes' first five seasons in Kansas City proved to be the final five campaigns of Tom Brady's remarkable 23-year run in the league. Despite the limited overlap, the star signal-callers shared the field for multiple memorable matchups, including the 2019 AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LV.
The 27-year-old never has hesitated to vocalize the respect and admiration he has for the seven-time champion. And on Wednesday, the day Brady finally decided to hang up his pads, Mahomes highlighted the "greatest observation" he'll take from TB12's unprecedented NFL career.
"The will to win, to take care of his body, to make the sacrifices to be the greatest of all time," Mahomes told ESPN's Jeff Darlington.
At this stage, Mahomes seemingly is the only active NFL player who has a legitimate shot of threatening Brady's "greatest of all time" status. The 2017 first-round pick already has one Lombardi Trophy under his belt, and he could add another Feb. 12 when his Chiefs battle the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. He's also expected to win his second MVP award three days prior to Super Sunday.
But even if Kansas City comes out on top in the desert, Mahomes still would have a long way to go to be in the same conversation with Brady.
