Patrick Mahomes has become one of the most decorated quarterbacks of his generation. He has 3 Super Bowl rings and 2 NFL MVP awards. Yet long before he wore a Chiefs jersey, he was a kid glued to Sunday football broadcasts.
He often talks about the players who shaped how he plays today. In interviews conducted over several years, he has identified Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, and Tom Brady as quarterbacks whose games influenced him. Those names did not come from one recent, definitive ranking of his childhood favorites.
Aaron Rodgers stood out as a childhood favorite
Aaron Rodgers was one of Mahomes’ most important early influences. Before the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes said he began studying Rodgers as he grew older, particularly his ability to extend plays and deliver the ball with a quick release. Mahomes again named Rodgers among his quarterback inspirations in 2024, and watching Rodgers helped shape his own improvisational style on the field, even though the two have both played in the AFC for most of their careers.
The two quarterbacks have actually never faced each other despite two scheduled meetings: Mahomes did not play in the Chiefs’ 2019 game against Rodgers because of a knee injury, and Rodgers missed the teams’ 2021 meeting due to COVID-19. Their near-misses add a personal layer to Mahomes’ crediting him as an idol.
Brett Favre inspired his sidearm throwing style
Brett Favre was one of Mahomes’ earliest quarterback influences. Before the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes said Favre and Aaron Rodgers were the 2 quarterbacks he watched most, adding that he had followed Favre since he was young.
Mahomes later credited Favre and Matthew Stafford with helping popularize the sidearm and no-look throws that became part of his own game. Favre’s aggressive, strong-armed style clearly belongs among the influences Mahomes has publicly acknowledged.
Reporters have noted that Mahomes credits Favre for the no-look pass as well. He said watching Favre and Stafford play made those throws feel natural. It shows how much old film mattered to his development.
Matthew Stafford brought a fellow Texan connection
Matthew Stafford is another quarterback Mahomes has identified as an influence. Mahomes has highlighted their shared Texas roots and said he learned sidearm and no-look throws by watching Stafford. Stafford led the Los Angeles Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI and remained with the team for the 2026 season.
He specifically praised the way Stafford handled pressure in the pocket. This gives Mahomes another accomplished veteran whose playing style he has long respected. Mahomes said that success only deepened his respect for him.
Stafford is now one of the most experienced quarterbacks still playing. He remains a respected veteran presence around the league. Mahomes has continued to speak highly of him in recent interviews.
Tony Romo shaped his love for movement
Mahomes grew up as a Dallas Cowboys fan and watched Tony Romo extensively. In 2024, Mahomes grouped Romo with Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford while discussing quarterbacks who could move within the pocket and throw effectively from different positions.
Romo never won a Super Bowl, but Mahomes’ comments show that a quarterback can influence another player through technique and creativity rather than championship totals alone. That skill eventually became one of his defining traits.
Fun fact: Mahomes’ dad, Pat, pitched 11 MLB seasons for 6 teams before Patrick became a Chiefs star.
Why Tom Brady was noticeably absent
Tom Brady should not be described as absent from Mahomes’ influence as a quarterback. Mahomes identified Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers as the quarterbacks he watched most in a 2017 interview. In 2024, he specifically said he studied Brady’s movement inside the pocket.
Mahomes has also ranked Brady No. 1 among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. The evidence, therefore, supports a distinction between Mahomes’ early stylistic influences and his respect for Brady, not a Brady “snub.”
Brady’s career overlapped heavily with Mahomes rise to stardom. The two even met several times on the field. Yet Mahomes’ admiration list points elsewhere for early inspiration.
Brady and Mahomes share mutual respect today
Brady has publicly praised Mahomes’ consistency, preparation, and performance in high-pressure situations. During a 2025 appearance on The Joel Klatt Show, Brady identified Mahomes as the quarterback who most closely reflected the dependable winning habits he valued. Their relationship has also extended beyond public praise.
In July 2026, Mahomes said he contacted Brady for advice while rehabilitating the ACL and LCL injuries he suffered in December 2025, and the two have spoken privately in recent years as their relationship has evolved from rivals into something more collegial.
Mahomes still ranks Brady among the all-time greats
Mahomes placed Brady at the top of his all-time quarterback ranking. In a 2023 interview with Complex, he named Brady first, followed by Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Montana, then considered either Dan Marino or John Elway for the final position.
The comments show that Mahomes’ assessments of historical achievement are not limited to the quarterbacks whose playing styles he watched most closely while growing up. That list blended childhood favorites with historical greats. It shows Mahomes separates those he admired growing up from those he views as the best ever.
This distinction matters for understanding his answer. Idolizing someone as a kid is different from ranking career achievement. Mahomes made that separation clear in different interviews.
How Mahomes blended his influences into a signature style
Mahomes’ playing style reflects several quarterback influences. He has credited Rodgers, Favre, Stafford, and Romo for elements of his movement, creativity, and unconventional throwing angles, and he has also said he studied Brady’s movement inside the pocket. That combination helped Mahomes develop a distinctive style and win 3 Super Bowl championships and 2 AP NFL MVP awards.
It also shows how quarterbacks are shaped by more than just win totals; instead, he built his game around creativity and risk-taking, which has already produced those 3 Super Bowl titles and made him one of the most exciting players to watch. His idols clearly left a lasting mark on how he plays today.
Little-known fact: Mahomes’ only college pitching appearance at Texas Tech ended without recording a single out.
TL;DR
- Patrick Mahomes named Aaron Rodgers as his favorite quarterback growing up, not Tom Brady.
- He has also credited Brett Favre, Matthew Stafford, and Tony Romo as early influences.
- Brady has publicly praised Mahomes’ consistency and dependability in high-pressure moments.
- Mahomes separately ranked Brady No. 1 on his all-time quarterback list in a 2023 interview.
- Mahomes separately ranked Brady as his top all-time quarterback in a different interview.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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