KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Patrick Mahomes was in the locker room and faced the abrupt end of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs after losing the 2018 AFC championship game overtime to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots when a visitor came in .
It was Brady, who before leaving to begin preparations for the Super Bowl wanted to cheer on his younger opponent, then in his first season as the NFL’s starting quarterback.
Muhammad said Monday that Brady’s visit and encouragement meant a lot to him.
“It was important because he showed he was doing things the right way,” Muhammad said as he and the Chiefs continued to prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl LV against Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “As a young quarterback in this league, you show up early and try to dedicate time and put in the work. … He said he respected what he was doing and how he played on the field and the kind of person he was, he put a stamp he needed to get in and even be better to get to the Super Bowl. “
The Chiefs would reach the Super Bowl next season for the first time in 50 years. There they defeated the San Francisco 49ers.
Muhammad on Sunday will try to do something Brady did before his career, which is to win consecutive championships. He will have to go through Brady, who has a record quarterback in six Super Bowl titles, all with the Patriots.
“He’s just like me,” Muhammad said. “He’ll leave everything he has on the field every time he’s there. He doesn’t care what it takes. He doesn’t care if he has to throw 400 yards or if he has to throw 100 yards. He wants to win. I feel like I have the same mindset. I want to win, no matter what or how. “
Muhammad, 25, grew up watching Brady, 43, win these championships with the Patriots. Muhammad said there is much to admire about Brady’s game, in addition to his success.
“There’s a lot,” Muhammad said when asked what talents Brady has that he’d like to put into his own game. “The way he’s able to dissect the defenses before taking is something I really admire. I’m trying to get to that level. The way he can move inside his pocket and be able to restore his feet, be completely calm and do throwing money no matter who’s around him is something I can keep working on.As I continue in my career, I’ll try to do everything I can to see the tape for him because he does it the way You can tell by how many Super Bowl championships you have and the rings on your fingers. “
Muhammad would narrow the gap between him and Brady in terms of Super Bowl titles to four with a Chiefs win on Sunday. You should have a chance to earn more. He said he would love to play whenever Brady, who began his NFL career with the Patriots in 2000.
“I want to play whenever they let me,” he said. “To do that, I have to take care of my body as much as I take care of the rest of the field. If you want to practice this sport for a long time, no matter how physical, you have to invest as much time in your body. “Like anything else. So far I’ve learned more and more about what I can do to stay available and healthy and try to be in the best nutritional state I can be in. I feel like I can be better.”