Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady: Two Super Bowl legends, one hauntingly similar setback

It was the opening game of the 2008 regular season when Tom Brady, coming off a crushing Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants, saw his year come to a sudden halt. Early in the game, Brady took a hit to the knee from Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard. What followed was the worst possible diagnosis: a torn ligament and the end of the New England Patriots’ season before it had truly begun.

“The reality is it happens to everyone,” Brady said at the time. “I’m excited about the rehab and the different challenges. The hard part is not being able to do something you love. But you get through it and focus on what you have to focus on. We’re moving forward.”

Seventeen years later, history echoes

Nearly two decades later, the story feels eerily familiar. It did not happen in Week 1, but Patrick Mahomes suffered the same devastating injury in the fourth quarter of a 16-13 loss to the Chargers, a defeat that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Trying to extend a play to his right, Mahomes released the ball just before his left leg twisted awkwardly as he planted his foot. Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand brought him down, and the damage was immediately apparent.

Brady and Mahomes, a chilling coincidence

Despite a valiant effort from New England’s backup quarterback in 2008, the Patriots finished 11-5 and still missed the playoffs, back when the NFL schedule was shorter and fewer teams qualified for the postseason.

Kansas City now finds itself in a similar position. The Chiefs are out of the playoffs with a 6-8 record. But the parallels go even deeper. Both Brady and Mahomes suffered torn knee ligaments in the ninth season of their careers, and both injuries came in the year immediately following a Super Bowl loss.

What history says about the road back

Brady’s recovery did not take long to reshape NFL history. Three years after his injury, the Patriots were back in the Super Bowl, once again losing to the Giants. Six seasons after that frightening setback, Brady led New England to another championship ring.

Now the questions turn to Mahomes. How long will his recovery take? And will he follow a similarly legendary path back to the NFL’s biggest stage?

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