Tom Brady on challenges Patrick Mahomes will face in rehab after ACL surgery
As many have noted, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ career trajectory has been remarkably similar to former Patriots and Buccaneers star Tom Brady.
Unfortunately, that even includes ACL surgery in their ninth season in the NFL, a fact Brady mentioned while on the SiriusXM show, “Let’s Go.”
Brady then discussed Mahomes’ injury, which happened Sunday in the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Chargers.
“It’s a tough injury, but I know one thing about Patrick, he’s very tough, and he’s very resilient,” Brady said. “He’s gonna work extremely hard to get back. And you see these ACL tears happen a lot in the NFL, and it’s tough to see it happen because you have these incredible athletes that are at the top of their game.”
Podcast co-host Jim Gray, the former sportscaster, asked if Brady feared his career was over because of the injury, which happened in the Patriots’ 2008 season opener against the Chiefs.
“Fortunately, I didn’t have those thoughts in year nine,” Brady said. “And I was very blessed because I had my best friend take care of me for 20-plus years, Alex Guerrero, who’s just been so masterful in taking care of my body for as long as I played. …
“I think the way that I attacked my rehab was really guided by him, and that was such a blessing, because I know my career would’ve been much shorter had he not been involved. And I really attacked the rehab in the best possible way. And fortunately now I’m 48 years old, and I live a great life, very active still. My knee doesn’t feel like my right knee that didn’t get injured, so there’s always a little reminder in my left knee, and I had a pretty significant MCL tear as well.”
What Mahomes faces after surgery
Mahomes had surgery Monday to repair the ACL tear in his left knee, and he’ll begin his rehab process immediately.
Brady discussed the challenges Mahomes will be facing.
“It’s a tough rehab. It’s one of the toughest rehabs,” Brady said. “I just remember every day pushing myself. And it’s always the same amount of pain and discomfort except you’re making progress through that pain and discomfort, which is a hard psychological thing to battle.
“You feel like, ‘God, every day, it doesn’t feel right.’ Except you’re gaining range of motion, and you’re gaining strength, and you are on the road to recovery. So I wish him the very best.”
Gray asked what Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, would tell Mahomes if he had the opportunity.
“The only thing you can do is focus on what’s ahead of you and not look back. And just say, OK, this is part of what my career is going to be. And a lot of people have gone through it and a lot of people have overcome it. You’ve just got to put as much diligence into the rehab process. And I always feel like the faster you rehab, the faster you can get back to practicing the sport that you love.
“I think sometimes people will pace themselves. Instead of training mode, they’re in rehab mode. I think you gotta get through rehab mode as fast as possible, and then you get back to training mode. But that requires an all-out commitment, and it’s the same commitment that the great professional athletes make to be great at their profession. When you go through the rehab process, you need that same level of focus and determination.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM.
