"That’s why he’s the GOAT" - Patrick Mahomes gushes over Tom Brady's longevity in the NFL

All eyes were on Patrick Mahomes following the Kansas City Chiefs' upset defeat in the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. And yet, Mahomes not going to the Super Bowl wasn't the top story of the day. It wasn't even Joe Burrow, who led the Bengals to an emphatic victory.

The speculation surrounding Tom Brady's imminent retirement was the focus of several publications and talk shows on Sunday. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington dropped the news about Brady's retirement to shock the NFL world. From NFL legends to current stars, nearly everyone jumped the gun to post tribute messages on social media.

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Patrick Mahomes in awe of Tom Brady's longevity in NFL

After a gut-wrenching loss to the Bengals, Mahomes was asked about Brady's retirement talk and how the all-time great has inspired him over the years. Mahomes said:

"His career is one of a kind. That’s why he’s the GOAT. To win that many Super Bowls, to be in that many games, it’s hard, and I understand that. After the years that I’ve had, I’ve been close a lot, but I’ve only been there twice and won one. I understand that it takes a special player, a special group of guys, special circumstances for that to happen."

The Chiefs star met Brady in last season's Super Bowl, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers annihilated the Chiefs 31-9 for an easy win. Mahomes believes he has everything it takes to get to the Super Bowl. He added:

"I’ll still do whatever I can to give myself a chance every year to try to get in that game and win it. But who knows if he retires? We don’t know for sure, but regardless of if he does or doesn’t, he’s going to be a great football player and he’s always been a great football player in his career."

If Brady does retire, Mahomes is expected to be the NFL's posterboy. The Buccaneers star suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round last month. Sources close to Brady are convinced that the 15-time All-Pro quarterback has decided to walk away from playing the sport. The seven-time Super Bowl winner did address retirement talks on Monday night in the latest episode of Let's Go! podcast. He said:

"I'm still going through the process that I said I was going through. Sometimes it takes some time to really evaluate how you feel, what you want to do and I think when the time is right I'll be ready to make a decision one way or the other."