Tom Brady Praises Patrick Mahomes, Throws Shade at Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson

Tom Brady doesn't sound impressed with the league's elite quarterbacks.

Tom Brady Praises Patrick Mahomes, Throws Shade at Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

As was previously the case with Tom Brady, football fans have gotten used to seeing Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen in the yearly MVP race.

Nearly three seasons into retirement, Brady finds himself impressed with only one of those quarterbacks, and it’s not Allen or Jackson.

While praising Mahomes during a recent interview on the “Joel Klatt Show,” Brady took what can be interpreted as a veiled shot at the AFC’s other top two quarterbacks. Although Brady acknowledged that “other guys” are extremely talented, he explained that the unnamed quarterbacks aren’t quite at that elite level yet.

“At some point,” Brady said, “they need to take the next step and take, in my mind, more ownership of what they’re doing, in terms of the organizational level, to do more things to empower more people, to get more people on that train or that bus with you to head in the direction you want to go.”

Although Allen and Jackson won the last two MVP Awards, neither has managed to topple Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen’s Buffalo Bills lost 32-29 in last year’s AFC Championship Game, while Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens suffered a 17-10 loss in January 2024.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2019.Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Brady, Fox Won't Be Calling Mahomes' Upcoming Matchups vs. Allen and Jackson

Brady and Mahomes have represented the AFC in eight of the last nine Super Bowls. Joe Burrow led the Cincinnati Bengals to an AFC title during the 2021 season, though they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56.

Mahomes is one of only five quarterbacks with at least three Super Bowl victories. Brady leads all quarterbacks with seven Super Bowl wins, ahead of Mahomes, Troy Aikman (three), Terry Bradshaw (four), and Joe Montana (four).

“As a quarterback, you don’t just punch the clock, ‘I did my job, I threw for 40 touchdowns, why are we not winning?’” Brady told Klatt.

“What are you doing in the offseason to help your defense?” Brady continued. “What are you doing to push the personnel department to get people doing the right thing? Are you involved in game planning?”

Unfortunately for Brady, he and Fox’s No. 1 broadcast team won’t get to call Mahomes’ upcoming showdowns with Allen or Jackson. CBS has the TV rights to the Week 4 Ravens-Chiefs game and the Week 9 Chiefs-Bills clash.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.

Category: Football