Tom Brady Recalls Meeting Patrick Mahomes After Comeback Win vs. Chiefs in 2018 AFC Championship Game

When you’re the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and you play for over two decades, you’re bound to rack up some impressive records against teams across the league. In fact, over his 23-year career, Tom Brady had either a .500 or a winning record against every single NFL team… except one. That team was the Kansas City Chiefs.

That’s right, Brady’s biggest bogey team was Kansas City, against whom he went 5-6 in the regular season. That includes a 1-5 mark after Andy Reid took over as head coach in 2013. That lone win came in 2018.

As you may remember, those struggles did not carry over into the playoffs. Brady was 3-0 against the Chiefs in postseason matchups, including Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers. However, arguably the most notable was his comeback win over Patrick Mahomes and the upstart Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Championship Game. Brady says that leaving the field after that win was one of his “greatest memories” in the NFL.

“[The Chiefs] had an incredible year, and we went in there and upset them,” Brady said on Fox Sports. “It was one of the greatest Championship games I’ve ever been a part of. And one of the greatest memories I ever remember having [was] leaving a football field.”

After that epic 37-31 overtime win for the Patriots, which they won on a walk-off TD, Brady was so jacked up celebrating that he didn’t find Mahomes at midfield to shake his hand. But he didn’t fully snub the youngster: Brady relayed the story of how he went to find the young Mahomes in his locker room after the game.

“That game ended, and it was a crazy walkoff win,” Brady recalled. “I didn’t get a chance on the field to go over and see Patrick… So I walk into the locker room and just to convey the messages that I really wanted to get across to him, which was: you’re a great young player, you’re doing everything the right way, and it’s been fun watching you this year, and you got a bright future.”

Brady went on to say that he told Mahomes he expected him to win a lot of Super Bowls. And as Brady pointed out, Mahomes has not disappointed in that regard.

Brady also gushed about Mahomes’ leadership abilities and his magnanimity after both wins and losses.

“Patrick was phenomenal that entire season, and I just got to watch him from afar,” Brady said. “It wasn’t just his play style that I really admired… it was every time he would answer questions after a tough loss, he answered them the right way. Every time there was an incredible win that he had, I thought he always gave the credit to his teammates and his coaches.”

“I got to walk into the locker room and just to convey the messages that I really wanted to get across to him.”@TomBrady shares the story of going into the @Chiefs’ locker room after the 2018-'19 AFC Championship to congratulate @PatrickMahomes on his great season 👏⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xEuBUc48yu

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 24, 2026

 

Brady obviously saw a lot of characteristics in Mahomes that he had nurtured in himself during his 23-year NFL career.

Overall, Mahomes went 3-1 against Brady in the regular season, winning their final ever meeting 41-31 during the 2022 regular season. However, that 2-0 record Brady has against Mahomes in the playoffs will always loom large when people make this comparison.