Tom Brady knows what Patrick Mahomes is going through.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion tore his ACL in 2008 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The injury, which occurred in Week 1, knocked him out for the entire season.
Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15 minutes before the Chiefs were officially eliminated from the playoffs. He underwent surgery on Monday to repair his ACL and LCL.
“It’s a tough rehab,” Brady said during the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “It’s one of the toughest rehabs. 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.”
When asked to provide some advice to Mahomes, Brady stressed the importance of staying focused.
“The only thing you can do is focus on what’s ahead of you and not look back,” he said. “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,” Brady continued. “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.”
Brady returned in 2009 and led the New England Patriots to a 10-6 record and earned the Comeback Player of the Year Award. The former quarterback went on to win four more Super Bowls post-injury.
Mahomes’ style of play is different than Brady’s given the fact he relies on his mobility more than Brady did. It’s possible Mahomes changes how he plays the position once he returns and regains trust in his knee.
