Patrick Mahomes’ three kids could shape the NFL career he once hoped would last until Tom Brady’s age(Image via Getty Images)
But in March 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback looked at that future through a very different lens. During his March 2024 interview with TIME in Dallas, Mahomes discussed the possibility of playing until Brady’s age. Brady retired at 45 after 23 NFL seasons, setting a longevity mark that Mahomes had clearly considered for himself. By November 2025, Mahomes was talking about another side of fatherhood that had nothing to do with his celebrity life. During an interview with 96.5 The Fan, he said his car rides with his children had become some of his favourite moments.
His answer revealed a limit that football could never erase.
“I’ve looked, if I played until Tom [Brady’s] age, my daughter would be 19, 20 years old,” Mahomes told TIME . “If I feel like it’s taking away from my family time, that’s when I’ll know it’s time to go,” he said during the same TIME interview. He told TIME about watching Bluey with Sterling, even joking that he had been caught watching the show more than his daughter. “It’s cool to welcome another baby girl to our family and to see how our other kids react to her and having baby sister,” Mahomes told The Kansas City Star on January 14, 2025.
Patrick Mahomes has spent years chasing Super Bowls, records and an NFL legacy that could stretch deep into his 40s. He calculated how old his daughter Sterling would be if he played until Tom Brady’s age. “I would love to play that long. At the same time, I want to be there for my daughter. At the time, Sterling was three years old and Bronze was one. Mahomes already had a glimpse of the ordinary fatherhood moments he could miss if football consumed too much of his life.