Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sat down with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and discussed a host of topics, including his NFL future as he nears his 30th birthday on Sept. 17.
In essence, Mahomes said he looks toward Tom Brady and LeBron James as models for long and successful careers, and he noted that he'll be sticking around as long as his family enjoys his work, he maintains his health and he continues to have fun.
"It started with Tom and LeBron [James]—you can play longer," Mahomes said. "I think, for me, as long as I can play, and have fun, and my family's enjoying it, I'll play. I don't want to take away from my family. My kids are still young, but they're getting older, and they love coming to the football games; they love being there. And the one good thing—compared to baseball, like when I grew up, my Dad was always gone—with football, you have a home city."
Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and three-time NFL MVP, was in the NFL from 2000-2022 and retired at the age of 45. He was notably still among the league's top quarterbacks as late as the 2021 season, when he led the NFL with 43 touchdown passes and 5,316 passing yards.
The 40-year-old James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP, is entering his 23rd pro season. He's still on top of his game, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers last year en route to earning All-NBA Second Team honors.
It's not inconceivable for Mahomes to play and succeed at quarterback into his 40s a la Brady, who proved it can be done.
For now, though, Mahomes hasn't even taken a snap in his 30s yet. He's already compiled a Hall of Fame resume in his 20s, winning five AFC titles, three Super Bowls, three Super Bowl MVP awards and two NFL MVP awards.
His 288.9 passing yards per game rank first all time, and he's accounted for 32,352 passing yards overall and 245 passing touchdowns.
Mahomes is about to enter his eighth season as a starter in hopes of leading the Chiefs back to a Super Bowl, where Kansas City has landed each of the past three seasons (and five of the past six). The Los Angeles Chargers are first on the Chiefs' 2025 ledger on Friday in São Paulo, Brazil.
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