By CNN
—
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about winning. Following his retirement from the NFL, Patrick Mahomes appears to be the heir-apparent to that winning pedigree.
The 28-year-old is on the brink of winning his third title after guiding the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl LVIII where they will face the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on February 11.
He’s still a way off Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings, but for some, the Kansas City QB is a serious rival to Brady’s ‘Greatest Of All Time’ tag.
Although comparisons are being made between the two quarterbacks, Brady said there is space in the NFL discourse for both to shine for their own reasons.
“There’s nothing that Patrick can do, in my opinion, that takes away from what I tried to accomplish in my career and there’s nothing that I did [that] can take away from what he’s trying to accomplish,” the 46-year-old said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday.
“I feel like I tried to be the best I could be and, even though I had sporting idols, like I said, 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 career and I really respect that. And I just try to do the same thing.
“And believe me, if anybody can go out there and win seven Super Bowls, I have so much respect for them. I understand how difficult it is. I will congratulate them and I’m going to give whoever it is a big hug.”
Like many of Brady’s Super Bowl runs with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 2023 trek for Chiefs has been one of sheer determination.
Kansas City’s season has been fraught with offensive issues, yet the team finds itself in its second successive Super Bowl, primarily on the back of Mahomes’ brilliance in the postseason.
But Mahomes isn’t the only quarterback in the Super Bowl who has impressed.
Niners signal caller Brock Purdy has blossomed into a high-level quarterback in his second year in the league, having been drafted with the final pick of last year’s NFL draft.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has developed a potent offense around Purdy, and Brady was also keen to praise last season’s ‘Mr. Irrelevant.’
“Brock’s done a great job with the opportunity. You know he got it and he’s taken advantage of it,” he said. “He was a late round pick. I know he’s got a chip on his shoulder and he wants to go out there and prove every day that he’s the right fit for that team. It’s a great organization they’re running. I really respect Kyle (Shanahan), but Brock’s done a hell of a job.”
Career change
While the next generation of quarterbacks is preparing for the biggest game of the NFL season, Brady is getting ready for the next stage of his own career.
After 23 years playing the sport at the highest level, Brady is moving upstairs to the commentary booth having agreed to a deal shortly after retiring to join Fox Sports as their lead analyst.
The terms of Brady’s deal with Fox Sports were never disclosed, but media reports said he agreed to a 10-year contract worth $375 million.
Speaking on Tuesday, Brady expressed his excitement at getting started next season, particularly as he will have the opportunity to cover the Super Bowl next year – with host broadcaster Fox – in New Orleans, the city he won his first title in 2002.
“I’m gonna go in there with the opportunity to start and learn, and I’m sure by the end of the year, I’ll feel more comfortable,” Brady said.
“So there’s some really cool things that as I thought about taking that opportunity is something that I really want to be a great ambassador for the NFL in the game.”
