Patrick Mahomes is entering a new stage of his career. At 29, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has already achieved more than most players ever will: three Super Bowl wins, five AFC titles, and MVP awards.
But with a trimmed-down look, a slightly more measured style, and years of injuries behind him, Mahomes knows the next chapter is about more than highlight plays.
“It’s the music-I’m a big music guy,” Mahomes told Sports Illustrated. “They’ll come out with some rapper sometimes-and I’m a rap music guy-and I don’t know who they are. And the guys are singing every word to it.
“So I’m having to have guys that are younger than me introduce me to new rappers, and I’m like, That makes me the old guy. Like Alex Smith, I was doing that to Alex Smith.”
Learning from Tom Brady
Mahomes has studied how Tom Brady prolonged his career.
Brady used to explain that as quarterbacks age, their football knowledge rises while their physical skills decline. The key is to slow down the decline long enough to let the experience pay off.
“You learn so much,” Mahomes said. “When you get to your 30s, you have a better sense of why you’re calling a play, why it’s called, and why it’s going to set up the next play.
“For me, it’s about learning that and still having the aggressiveness of my 20s.”
To protect his body, Mahomes has built a full-time system around recovery. He works with trainer Bobby Stroupe and coordinates with the Chiefs’ staff to manage everything from practice loads to diet.
“We’ve found a great way to maintain my body,” he explained. “I’m enjoying football, but I’m still feeling great the whole season.”
Fuel from defeat
Still, his toughest lessons have come from setbacks. The Chiefs’ blowout loss to the Eagles in last season’s Super Bowl showed Mahomes what happens when he tries to do too much.
“They got the momentum early and instead of managing the game … I kept compounding mistakes, trying to make a big play happen when it wasn’t there,” he said. “That’s stuff that you can’t do.”
Coach Andy Reid praised his quarterback’s accountability. “He still wants to be great every play,” Reid said. “He’s done a great job as a leader out here. I mean, he’s phenomenal that way.”
For Mahomes, records and accolades aren’t the only motivators. “I always love the team part of it,” he said. “Even the process, all of it, is amazing. … My best friends in the world are my teammates, and that’s because we have this common goal.
“And if I lose that, I think that’s when I’ll be done playing.”
He doesn’t know how many years he’ll keep going, but with Brady and LeBron James as examples, he sees no reason to stop soon. “As long as I can play, and have fun, and my family’s enjoying it, I’ll play,” Mahomes said.
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