Mahomes avoiding Brady comparisons ahead of Super Bowl showdown

Patrick Mahomes does not want to be compared to legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl.

Kansas City Chiefs star Mahomes, 28, is aiming to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy for a third time when the AFC champions meet the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

The Chiefs have won two of the last four Super Bowls and could become the first team to go back-to-back since the Brady-inspired New England Patriots in 2005.

Brady retired a year ago with seven rings to his name and Mahomes is not yet ready to rank himself alongside one of the icons of the sport.

The Chiefs quarterback said: "I'm not even close to half way, so I haven't put a lot of thought into it.

"Your goal is to be the best player that you can be and I know I'm blessed to be around a lot of great players.

"So right now, it's doing everything I can to beat a great 49ers team and try to get that third ring.

"In like 15 years, I'll see if I can get close to seven but seven seems like a long way away still.

"Fifteen years seems like a long [time] but Brady did it and some other guys have done it so I am going to try to see if I can do it as well."

The two-time Super Bowl MVP added: "I don't want to play until I am hurting the team, so if I can go out there and have some success and still love it every single day that's the biggest thing.

"It takes a lot of work looking after your body, it takes eating healthy, trying to get rid of the dad bod that I've got but just trying to do everything you can to be healthy and go out there and be the best player you can be."

Brady masterminded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2021 and that loss still troubles the Texan.

He added: "I have lost a Super Bowl and I know how bad that hurts. 

"I'm almost more addicted to staying away from that feeling than I am about hoisting the trophy."