Super Bowl LV will be fifth meeting between Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady
When the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field in Super Bowl LV, it’ll be the fifth meeting between opposing quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. These two have shared in some exciting games in the three seasons that Mahomes has been the starter in Kansas City.
In Mahomes’ first two games against Brady, the Chiefs fell short. It wasn’t a complete shock, the young superstar in the NFL at the quarterback position falling against the undisputed GOAT. In the 2018 AFC Championship Game, the duel between the two stars came down to overtime. Mahomes never had a chance to possess the ball after Brady marched down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown.
After the game, Brady sought out Mahomes in the Chiefs’ locker room.
“Well, I would say it was unique,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said of the situation. “I mean he didn’t have to do that. He is arguably the best quarterback to ever play the game and he surely didn’t have to come over and say a word. But he did that, and I think for a young quarterback to have somebody of his stature do that, I think was a tremendous gesture and it was heartfelt. He didn’t have to do it and he wasn’t putting on a show. There was nobody there to really see it, so it was really just his respect for Pat and in return, Pat’s respect for him.”
So what did Brady say to Mahomes at that moment? Really, he just offered some words of encouragement to a fellow competitor.
“Yeah, it kind of just reemphasized that I was doing things the right way,” Mahomes said. “That I was putting in the right work, and that I would have more opportunities to be in these games. I’ve been lucky enough to be in two more of them since and win both of those.”
Now, just a few years removed from their conversation Mahomes has seen a tremendous amount of success. He’s set to appear in back-to-back Super Bowls, while Brady is making his 10th career Super Bowl appearance and his first with a team that isn’t the New England Patriots.
When these two players have squared off on the gridiron in the past, it’s always been an incredible show of quarterback play. Even in Week 12 of the regular season, when the Mahomes and Brady last faced off, the game was filled with drama. The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter, but Brady kept his team in the game until the bitter end.
“Yeah, it seems like we’ve had a couple of those and every one of them is tremendous, and I wouldn’t expect this to be any different,” Reid said. “They’ve got a tremendous team there and those two have a lot of respect for each other… So, we look forward to the opportunity to play them, and I know Pat does with Tom, and I’m sure likewise Tom does with Pat. So, it should be a heck of a football game.”
As for Mahomes, he’s ready for the challenge of facing Brady again. He’s ready to exact a little revenge for the 2018 AFC Championship Game. He’s ready to prove to the world that he is the best against the only quarterback to ever lead his team to six Super Bowl wins. He’s ready to see the torch passed to him on the biggest stage.
“Yeah I mean, the Super Bowl is the Super Bowl,” Mahomes said. “Being able to go up against one of the greatest, if not the greatest quarterback of all time in his 150th Super Bowl, I mean it’s going to be a great experience for me. To go out there and get to have a chance to repeat and get to do it against the best, I mean it’s something special and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Back in 2018, it seems like Brady maybe knew that this moment was on the horizon.
List
5 takeaways from Chiefs' AFC Championship Game win vs. Bills
