Tom Brady's Super Bowl-winning teammate shares when ex-QB realized Patrick Mahomes was real deal
Tom Brady's ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate LeSean McCoy claimed the seven-time Super Bowl champion knew Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was different from others.
Appearing on the "Glory Daze with Johnny Manziel" podcast, McCoy, who also played with Mahomes in 2019, recalled a conversation with Brady in Tampa Bay in 2020.
"Is he like that? Is he the real deal?" TB12 asked McCoy directly out of curiosity about Patrick Mahomes. [1:10:09]
As the conversation continued, McCoy explained how Brady's question stood out because it clearly showed the NFL Hall of Famer's respect for Patrick Mahomes' skillset.
"I knew he was the real deal when he didn’t go for the highest contract. He took a solid deal so his teammates could get paid. That’s how you win," Brady reportedly said.
The NFL legend's statement hinted at how his junior quarterback avoided opting for the highest per-year contract when negotiating with the KC Chiefs and instead focused on team success over individual wealth, which impressed Brady. For the former quarterback, it proved that Mahomes is a team-first leader.
That said, Mahomes has the largest overall NFL contract in total value.
Patrick Mahomes prioritized winning the Super Bowl over the highest-paid tag
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' decision to forego the highest per-year contract purposely has paid off with interest. After winning two back-to-back Super Bowls, he and his Chiefs squad aim for a three-peat, something no team in the league has done.
In 2020, Mahomes signed a rookie extension with the Chiefs, which paid him an average annual salary of $45,000,000, the league's highest.
However, as per Yahoo Sports, he was eventually dethroned from the top and now ranks 13th:
- Dak Prescott – $60M
- Joe Burrow – $55M
- Jordan Love – $55M
- Trevor Lawrence – $55M
- Tua Tagovailoa – $53M
- Jared Goff – $53M
- Justin Herbert – $52M
- Lamar Jackson – $52M
- Jalen Hurts – $51M
- Kyler Murray – $46M
- Deshaun Watson – $46M
- Kirk Cousins – $45M
- Patrick Mahomes – $45M
Interestingly, none of this has ever bothered Mahomes.
As per an ESPN report written by Adam Teicher, the Chiefs QB said on Jul 23, 2022,:
"When I signed my deal, I knew I was going to be set for life regardless of how the market [went]. You just keep playing. Money is one thing but when you get those Super Bowl rings at the end of your career, I think that's going to be the thing that you look back on. I think I've made enough money on the football field and off of it as well that it won't matter at the end of the day."
Mahomes added:
"Especially at the quarterback position, the next guy is the highest-paid guy. Any of these top-tier quarterbacks, they make such a difference on NFL football teams that [older contracts are] going to get passed up.''
He continued:
"They'll keep setting the bar even higher,'' Mahomes said. "You always want to get paid and take care of your family, but I want a great team around me as well.''
Considering Mahomes' wisdom and passion for football, his ex-teammate LeSean McCoy believes that the three-time Super Bowl champion will even the great Brady, saying "I do think Pat’s going to get him now."