Patrick Mahomes getting offseason advice from Tom Brady: ‘It’s cool’

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes briefly put aside the rivalry with the Raiders during an interview that aired this week, praising two key members of the organization.

Appearing on the Up &Adams Show with host Kay Adams, the three-time Super Bowl champion praised Raiders minority owner Tom Brady for offering him advice the past few months and called star defensive end Maxx Crosby the best pass rusher he has played against in the NFL.

It might have been a bit jarring to hear such lofty accolades directed at a team that has a bitter and lengthy history with the Chiefs and plays in the same division.

Of course, Brady is somewhat new to the rivalry, having been approved as a minority owner in October.

Brady and Mahomes are widely considered the best quarterbacks of their eras, which did have some crossover. They split six head-to-head matchups, but Brady’s teams prevailed in two postseason meetings.

After the 2018 AFC championship game, Brady went to the Chiefs locker room and reportedly told Mahomes, 23 at the time, that he loved the way he plays and encouraged him to “keep grinding.”

More recently, Brady shared on actor Kevin Hart’s podcast that he believed Mahomes has the ability, and more importantly, the mentality, to match his accomplishments.

Adams asked Mahomes for his response.

“Having a guy like Tom say that just motivates me even more,” Mahomes said. “I’ve actually talked to him a good amount this offseason, and it’s cool that he wants to give me advice. He doesn’t have to be like that. He’s just such a good dude, and I have so much respect for him, and I’ll take any advice he gives me.”

Mahomes declined to share specifics of Brady’s advice, but said the theme at the core of his message was to always be yourself.

“He thinks, which I truly believe too, that guys can spot when you’re not authentic and you’re not putting in the work,” Mahomes said. “That’s something he did every single day, and it’s why guys respected him so much. That’s all I’m going to do for the rest of my career and I feel like I’ve done so far. I’m always myself. No matter if you like me or don’t, you know I’m giving everything I can to win football games.”

Mahomes also has developed a rivalry with Crosby, as the two meet on the field twice a season in AFC West games.

“We know when we step on that football field, we’re going against each other,” Mahomes said. “It’s the Raiders and the Chiefs. It’s two of the greatest in the league going against each other every snap and then continuing to do it twice a year. There’s so much healthy respect, but when we get on the football field, there is going to be trash talk. He’s going to be trying to get to me, and I’m going to be trying to make big plays happen. Obviously, he’s on the other team, so I’m going to try to beat him, but he’s the kind of guy you want on your team, the guys who are going to leave it all out there no matter what the score is and be the best they can possibly be every snap.”

Mahomes has gotten the better of the rivalry, going 12-2 against the Raiders and 10-2 since Crosby was drafted. They have shared some contentious moments on the field.

Still, Mahomes offered high praise of his fellow perennial Pro Bowler.

“I think he’s sacked me the most of any pass rusher I’ve played against, so to me, he’s the best pass rusher I’ve played against,” Mahomes said. “No offense to any other pass rusher, just to put that out there, but he is the best I’ve gone up against because he goes out there and gives you the effort, he has the moves and he has the skill. I think it’s hard to have all three of those and do that year in and year out.”

Crosby has six sacks against Mahomes in his career. He will get his first chance this season to add to the total on Oct. 19 in Kansas City.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.