Tom Brady Reveals Advice to Patrick Mahomes After Chiefs Star's Surgery on Knee Injury

NFL legend Tom Brady detailed the advice he'd give to Patrick Mahomes after the star quarterback suffered a torn ACL during the Kansas City Chiefs' 16-13 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

"The only thing you can do is focus on what's ahead of you and not look back," Brady said on his Let's Go! podcast (h/t Devon Henderson of The Athletic). "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 has experience with the injury, as the NFL's all-time passing leader tore his ACL in the first game of his 2008 campaign. Both Brady and Mahomes suffered torn ACLs during their ninth seasons in the league.

"I think sometimes people will pace themselves," Brady said, via Henderson. "Instead of training mode, they're in rehab mode. 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 underwent successful surgery to repair the torn ACL on Monday and faces a recovery timeline of 9-12 months, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The three-time Super Bowl champion completed 62.7 percent of his throws for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions in 14 games during his 2025 campaign.

The Chiefs fell to 6-8 with the loss to the Chargers and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Mahomes will now look to navigate through rehab and come back in a similar manner as Brady, who earned Comeback Player of the Year honors for his 2009 season before capturing his second MVP award during the ensuing year.