Brady Ranks Chiefs No. 7, Says Mahomes Looks Like Himself

Brady Ranks Chiefs No. 7, Says Mahomes Looks Like Himself

Tom Brady placed the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 7 in his latest NFL power rankings and said quarterback Patrick Mahomes is showing signs of returning to top form after tearing his ACL last December. “I think, in a lot of ways, he’s back to being Patrick Mahomes,” Brady said, pointing to his “leadership, discipline, tenacity” on display.

The comments follow Kansas City’s 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night, in which Mahomes completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, adding a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Brady noted Mahomes “missed some football, missed a lot of the offseason” during his recovery but said the Chiefs should not be dismissed as contenders.

Much of the offensive production against Denver came from newcomer Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for a career-high 173 yards on 7.5 yards per carry, including a 60-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach in the second half. Brady, who returned from his own ACL injury at a similar point in his career, acknowledged Walker’s performance but focused most of his analysis on Mahomes.

“Why are we counting them out? Never count them out,” Brady said, tying his outlook to the Chiefs’ track record under coach Andy Reid. “I always felt like when you’ve got a great coach and you’ve got a great QB, and that organization has championship standards … watch out, man.”