Patrick Mahomes And Tom Brady Careers Knotted More Tightly Than Ever After Knee Injury

It initially seemed as if the chase of Tom Brady's legacy that Patrick Mahomes has authored was derailed this year when the Kansas City Chiefs not only failed to make the postseason, but their quarterback on Sunday suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. 

"He had no artery damage, no nerve damage, no joint surface damage, no meniscal damage," Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder told reporters on Wednesday. "He’s already started rehab down in Dallas, he was there first thing Tuesday morning and he’ll do that through tomorrow and then he’ll be back here Friday."

Burkholder gave nine months as a "ballpark" recovery timeline, adding it could be a month or two earlier or later depending on how the quarterback's rehabilitation proceeds.

Mahomes Follows Brady Arc

And that seems to be a problem for the much-chronicled Mahomes chase of Brady's seven Super Bowl victories. But the truth is the injury, and this now wasted season, doesn't blur the parallels of their careers at all. It actually makes them more obvious. 

Mirror images, almost.

In 2008, Brady was in his ninth NFL season, having won three Lombardi Trophies but coming off a Super Bowl loss to an NFC East team. This was Mahomes's ninth season, and he'd won three Lombardi Trophies, but was coming off a Super Bowl loss to an NFC East team.

Brady suffered a season-ending ACL injury to his left knee in 2008. And so did Mahomes on Sunday.

Brady, aware of the apparent coincidences, talked about what Mahomes will face next on his  SiriusXM’s Let’s Go! podcast.  

"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. 

Football: New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (12) in action, making pass and receiving hit to left knee from Kansas City Chiefs Bernard Pollard (49). Brady sustained season-ending injuries with torn ACL and MCL during 1st quarter. Foxboro, MA 9/7/2008 CREDIT: Damian Strohmeyer (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X80977 TK1 R4 F135 )

‘All Out Commitment’ Needed For Rehab

"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 know you love. I think sometimes people will pace themselves. Instead of training mode, they're in rehab mode. 

"I think you 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 being great at their profession. When you go through the rehab process, you need that same level of focus and determination."

The significant difference between the Brady injury and the one Mahomes is now addressing is their timing. 

Brady was injured in the 2008 season-opener. So that gave him 12 months to rehabilitate and return to play in time for the 2009 regular-season opener. Brady not only played every game the following year, he never missed a start again the final 14 seasons of his career save for four in 2016 when he was suspended for Deflategate.

Mahomes Not 100 Percent To Start 2026

Mahomes would have to make a more difficult recovery based on his injury affecting multiple ligaments, in only nine months to be able to play in the Chiefs 2026 regular-season opener.

That's rough and OutKick medical expert Dr. David Chao, the former head doctor for the San Diego Chargers and founder of Sports Injury Central, believes "there is no way" Mahomes will be 100 percent for the start of next season.

And Dr. Chao draws the comparison of the Mahomes injury to Carson Wentz in 2017 and not Brady in 2008.

"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."