If anyone can relate to Patrick Mahomes and knows something about winning multiple Super Bowls early in his career and then tearing an ACL in his ninth season, it’s Tom Brady.
Rehabbing from a major knee injury is a long, strenuous process that’s as taxing on the mind as it is on the body. On a recent episode of the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray, Brady talked about the rehab process and its mental challenges.
It’s a process Mahomes is set to embark on after tearing his left ACL late in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, which eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time in his career.
“It’s a tough rehab,” Brady said. “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. 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.”
Brady tore his left ACL in the first game of the 2008 season, following a Super Bowl XLII loss the previous February.
When asked about what advice Brady would give Mahomes on the process, Brady was adamant that the key is to stay focused on what’s ahead.
“The only thing you can do is focus on what’s ahead of you and not look back,” Brady 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.”
Brady also noted there is no room for self-pity or sorrow. The seven-time Super Bowl winner returned from his ACL injury in Week 1 of 2009 and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award that season.
“I think sometimes people will pace themselves. Instead of training mode, they’re in rehab mode,” he said. “I think you’ve got to 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.”
Mahomes isn’t the only starting quarterback of his generation to tear an ACL.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore his ACL in November of his rookie year in 2020. The following season, he returned to play Week 1 and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Rams.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray tore his ACL in December 2022. He returned to game action in November 2023 and finished the season 3-5.
Mahomes, 30, shared on social media Monday that he’s ready to attack the process.
“Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes wrote. “And not going to lie, it hurts. But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you, Chiefs Kingdom, for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I will be back stronger than ever.”
