Tom Brady is widely regarded as the greatest player in NFL history. He is a seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP, two-time Offensive Player of the Year, and 15-time Pro Bowler who holds pretty much every quarterback record imaginable.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is considered the active player with the best shot of dethroning Brady as the NFL’s GOAT. Brady recently compared Mahomes’ development to his own, highlighting that they both had terrific situations and the right people around them to help them achieve greatness.
Tom Brady Compares Patrick Mahomes’ Path to His Own
During an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Brady drew parallels between his career and Mahomes’ journey, pointing out that they both played in pro-style offenses in college, landed with great organizations, learned from legendary coaches, and sat behind a respected veteran for a while before getting their opportunity under center.
.@TomBrady on the importance of young QBs having a support system:
"I could never have reached this area of growth that I needed to… It was accelerated because of all the things I had in place." pic.twitter.com/6Yuai7y8si
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 6, 2024
“For Patrick, if I look at his situation and his development, he was very lucky to sit behind [Alex Smith],” Brady said. “And let me get this out of the way: he’s a phenomenal player. To me, he, Lamar [Jackson], Josh Allen, you’re talking about the upper echelon, as we all know. And Patrick is gonna go down as one of the greats ever for a number of reasons.
“But he went to college at Texas Tech and had Kliff Kingsberry there with him for three years — an NFL-caliber coach running a lot of NFL-type calls and methodologies behind what he’s doing. So, he had three years of that. Then, he goes to the Chiefs and he has Alex Smith as the guy that’s ahead of him, who’s a phenomenal player, a great leader, and does everything the right way. Then, he’s got Andy Reid as his play-caller.
“There’s a reason why it all works and this development that happens and why Patrick has been able to ascend so quickly. He would’ve found a way to ascend at some point anyway, but I’m just saying … I could never have reached this area of growth that I needed to [in a different situation]. It was accelerated because of all the things I had in place.
“When I was in college, I ran a pro-style offense. I got drafted and had Bill Belichick teaching me. I got to sit behind Drew Bledsoe. I worked really hard to learn all those things, and I embraced the challenge. I think when you’re a young quarterback, ultimately, that’s what you’re trying to do: be in a situation where you can learn, grow, develop. It’s all about mentorship and the people who come into your life.”
Brady also stressed how important it is for quarterbacks to land in the right situation, using Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as perfect examples.
“I see Bo Nix from Denver — he’s got Sean Payton there, a phenomenal coach! He’s going to get great coaching, and they’re going to have a great scheme! A lot of times, the first reads are going to be open because he has a great play-caller who knows how to design things!” Brady explained.
“Then, you go on the other side of it, and I see a lot of quarterbacks who don’t make it — and maybe they wouldn’t have made it anyway — but I’m just saying, there’s the potential that they could have [if they landed in the right situation].
“Look at Sam Darnold. He’s playing really well now in Minnesota — he’s got a good coach, he’s got a good scheme, he’s got some good receivers, and he’s playing well. When he was on the [New York] Jets, he didn’t have all of those things quite in place.”
Brady also mentioned that, while it’s important to evaluate young quarterbacks’ physical attributes, teams also need to examine a QB’s mental makeup.
“We always have to look at the physical makeup of these young players. What are they capable of? Do they have good arms or do they have great arms? Are they athletic? Can they get out of the pocket? And then, to me, there’s a mental element that always comes in with quarterback play,” Brady said.
“There’s no way for me to really see sustained success in the NFL at the quarterback position if you don’t have total control of what’s being done out on the field.”
While Brady has received criticism for his analysis and insight during Fox broadcasts, it’s really interesting to hear him break down quarterback play, particularly the similarities behind his and Mahomes’ trajectories.