Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Doesn't Believe He's on Tom Brady's 'Global Star' Level

Already an NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion and owner of the most lucrative contract in North American sports, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he still has a ways to go to achieve what other pro athletes already have. 

Look no further than the example Tom Brady has set. According to ESPN's Adam Teicher, Mahomes believes he hasn't reached the level of stardom Brady currently exists on. 

"He's someone that's a global star," Mahomes said. "For me, I just try to be myself and go out there every single day and put in the work and try to win football games. All that other stuff kind of comes with it. For me, I just try to be a normal guy and live it up with my teammates and have fun doing it."

Sunday will mark the first time Mahomes faces Brady since Week 14 last season when the Chiefs defeated the New England Patriots, 23-16, behind their QB's 283 yards and one touchdown. 

Yet it was the previous meeting between the two elite passers that has stuck with Mahomes: an overtime loss in the AFC Championship that sent New England to the Super Bowl.

Per Mahomes:

"He just grabbed me after the game. I was kind of leaving the stadium and they had obviously been celebrating going to the Super Bowl. He just talked about how he respected how I did everything the right way and stuff like that. It's just cool to have a guy of that stature who's won championships it seems like year in and year out that has respect for your game as much as you have respect for his. It was definitely a cool experience that I was able to know that I was doing things the right way early in my career."

At least in one category last season, there was reason to believe Mahomes had surpassed the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback. Mahomes unseated Brady for the league's top-selling jersey for the first time in three years. 

According to NFL.com, that trend has reversed this season. Brady's Buccaneers' jersey is No. 1 on the league shop while Mahomes is No. 2. Brady changing teams might have impacted those numbers.  

Fortunately for Mahomes, there's still plenty of time to reach Brady's level of stardom. After all, Mahomes won his first title at 24 years old, the same age Brady was when he won his first. It helped pave the way for a career spanning two decades that Mahomes will be more than happy to replicate.