December 17th – Recently, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered the most serious injury of his nine-year career – a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, ending his season and marking the first time Mahomes has missed the playoffs.
NFL's greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, offered Mahomes some advice:
"The only thing you can do is focus on the future, don't look back, and tell yourself, 'Okay, this is going to be a part of my career.' Many people have gone through it, and many people have overcome it. You have to be fully committed to the rehabilitation process. I always believe that the faster you recover, the sooner you can return to the sport you love. I think sometimes people slow down. They're in rehabilitation mode instead of training mode. I think you have to get through the rehabilitation mode as quickly as possible and then get back into training mode. But that requires full commitment, the same commitment that great professional athletes put in to excel in their professional fields. When you're going through the rehabilitation process, you need the same level of focus and perseverance."
It's worth noting that Brady, also in his ninth year of his career like Mahomes is now, suffered a torn ACL in the season opener. Even more similar, both quarterbacks lost the Super Bowl the season before their injuries and had each won three Super Bowl titles before their injuries. After recovering, Brady returned to the field and won four more Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and Buccaneers.
Speaking about the recovery process, Brady said: "But this (knee injury) was a tough recovery, one of the most difficult recoveries. I just remember pushing myself every day. The pain and discomfort were always there, but the difference is that you're making progress through that pain – it requires extreme mental fortitude to fight against it. You think, 'Oh my god, something feels wrong every day.' But your range of motion is increasing, your strength is returning, and you're on the road to recovery. So I sincerely wish him all the best."
