Patrick Mahomes has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl wins in the last five years, including back-to-back championships in the last two NFL seasons. But he’s far from done, as the 29-year-old is chasing the record set by Tom Brady, who won an impressive seven rings.

Mahomes is also eyeing an unprecedented NFL feat not even Brady could achieve back in the day, which is to win three Super Bowls in a row. The Chiefs‘ record suggest they’re in the right direction, though the quarterback isn’t having his best season when it comes to stats.

Mahomes’ low numbers in the 2024 NFL season are giving plenty to talk about, with some people questioning the signal-caller, while others defend him by claiming he’s doing enough to get wins. Brady is part of the latter.

Reacting to an interview with Mahomes on FOX’s NFL pregame show, Brady made it clear that Mahomes has clearly evolved as a quarterback, even if the stats suggest otherwise: “I think the hard part about playing against Patrick is he knows that he’s got a great defense. He’s going to try to make all the right plays early in the game. He’s going to take what the defense gives him. And I think what we’ve seen a lot from him this year is when he needs it, he’s going to make the plays, but he’s doing such a good job managing the game, and part of that’s the evolution of being a great quarterback in the NFL. He’s been that since the time that he entered the league, from ’18, ’19, ’20. That was one of the offenses that was 40 points a game. He was putting up monster touchdown numbers. But the difference is the team’s evolved, it has changed.

Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady during the Patriots vs Chiefs match in 2019

“They’ve lost some of their weapons, and because of that, he’s turned into a guy who is there to perform when it matters the most. And to him, it doesn’t matter whether it’s four touchdowns, he just wants to get the win and so much. That’s ultimately how I evolved as a player. It became less about, ‘Am I in the MVP race? Am I going to be a pro bowler? Am I going to be an All-Pro it came to me. Am I good enough for my team to win today? Have I evolved at a point as a player where I’m going to do what I need to do, regardless of what it takes, any given day?’ And that’s rarefied air because that gives you a chance to improve every single week, every single year. That’s the constant motivation. … He’s going to show up every day to work. He’s so dependable, so consistent,” Brady added, via Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.

Tom Brady shares special message to Patrick Mahomes

Apart from publicly defending Mahomes with massive praise, Brady sent the Chiefs quarterback a touching message at the end of their interview, encouraging the two-time NFL MVP to continue like this.

From the same way that I met you the first time (to) today, I just wanted to say I’m proud of you,” Brady told Mahomes. “Keep doing your thing the right way. I will say this: You’re 16-1 on Fox. Two of your Super Bowl wins have been on Fox. I get to be in New Orleans this year because I’m doing the game and it would be amazing to watch you compete. It’s a long way from now, but what a pleasure it is to be with you and good luck the rest of the way.”

Patrick Mahomes appreciates Brady comparisons

Mahomes also got the chance to share kind words for Brady during the interview. Apart from appreciating the comparisons he’s drawn with the 7x Super Bowl champ, the Chiefs star also let Brady know he really admired his dedication.

It’s honestly an honor,” Mahomes said about the comparisons with Brady. “I’m not saying that because you’re sitting here. You did it the right way. I think more than even the Super Bowls, it was the consistency you showed every single year, every single day. You came to work, and you came to win. For me, it gives me something to chase [winning seven Super Bowls]. It’s going to be hard to get there, but I’ll do my best trying to get there.”