Patrick Mahomes has no concern about being ready for the start of the Kansas City Chiefs' preparations for the 2023 season after injuring his ankle in their Super Bowl LVII success.

Mahomes came up limping heavily after a second-quarter scramble in the Chiefs' remarkable 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

The Chiefs were trailing 24-14 at that point, but Mahomes emerged from half-time with his ankle re-taped and led Kansas City on a vintage comeback.

Mahomes and his team-mates will have time to bask in an incredible triumph, but there is, as the saying goes, no offseason in the NFL, and the Chiefs will be turning the page to 2023 next month when the new league year starts, with free agency and the draft soon to be on the horizon.

OTAs will follow in May, but Mahomes is more worried about how the ankle injury will impact his play on the golf course than his readiness for offseason workouts.

"I'll for sure be ready for OTAs," Mahomes said at his Super Bowl MVP press conference in Phoenix on Monday.

"The one thing that might take a hit is my golf game."

The Chiefs were slight underdogs against the Eagles, having gone into the season with some predicting their potential dethronement in the AFC West.

Instead, the Chiefs won the division at a canter, and are unlikely to have many doubting them ahead of next season after this latest show of Mahomes magic.

Asked if the Chiefs "keep receipts" from doomsayers, Mahomes replied: "It's hard not to hear that stuff. You hear how not good we're going to be. I'm just going to go out there and prove it on the football field."

Paying tribute to his head coach, Mahomes added: "As long as Andy Reid's coaching us, we're always going to have a chance."

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Chris Jones said Patrick Mahomes simply has to be appreciated as he hailed the "once in a generation" talent setting the standards for another Super Bowl triumph.

Mahomes once again got the better of his ankle issue to propel the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl championship in the space of four seasons in Arizona on Sunday.

The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 at State Farm Stadium, as Mahomes – who took a blow late in the second quarter, having already had to deal with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Divisional round – went on to become the first NFL MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to win the Super Bowl in the same season.

Mahomes threw three passing touchdowns and was not intercepted or sacked, leaving Jones in awe of his team-mate's excellence.

"He is a dog, next year y'all, we will be like 'is this his flu game?'," Jones said in a post-game press conference.

"I appreciate it, Pat is a once and generational lifetime type of player and sometimes he does things so special that it becomes normality for him.

"We've got to just appreciate Pat."

Asked what he thought when Mahomes was hobbling, Jones cited the standards set by coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs' QB as the reasoning behind the organisation's sustained success.

He said: "I knew there was blood in the water, because Pat is the type of competitor where if he's hurt or he's sick, he wants to come back and show everybody that he's even better now.

"That trickles down from coach Reid, he's the type of coach you'll never see hurt, never see sick. Even if he is sick, you wouldn't even know it.

"I think one time he had to get taken to the hospital after the game and no one knew. And he was at work the next day, he was handing schedules out the next day. It just trickles down the type of coach Reid is, the type of player Pat is, the type of organisation we have here."

Jones, who said he would be celebrating with a bottle of Yamazaki Japanese whiskey, added: "Coach Reid is legendary.

"I'm just very fortunate honestly, heck of guy, better person. He makes us all look good."

When it was put to Jones that he was now part of a dynasty, the 28-year-old said: "Do you think so? Well then there it goes, I don't have to speak about it.

"I told y'all this after our first Super Bowl, we going back-to-back, everybody laughed, everybody just thought I was talking out the side of my neck. We've been very fortunate, the core here, Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Bud [Harrison Butker], Tommy [Townsend], Frank Clark.

"Clark came here his first year and won a Super Bowl, the core here is special. It's a special group of guys, that I was fortunate enough to play with this year in the D-line room. Got my fingers crossed that we can bring everybody back but I still want them to get paid and be successful.

"This is the bittersweet part about it, because you have a special room and you guys win it and you know the room is always changing, always evolving, players always coming in and out. I just want to say here on record that I am super, super grateful for the D-line this year.

"This is probably the most unselfish group that I've been a part of. Starting with Frank Clark, number three in all-time in sacks in the playoffs.

"I'm so grateful just to be in the Chiefs organisation, to be in this position, Just a kid from Houston, Mississippi coming out of Mississippi State. I didn't think I had a chance of going to Kansas City [inaudible] coming to visit me.

"Seven years later, two Super Bowl rings, four to five AFC championships and we're still going. This team has a lot of fight in them, I definitely feel we can be in position to compete again for another one. This is a special team, we keep this core together, keep Frank Clark, keep killing it, keep me and him together, I think we can be very, very special."

Jalen Hurts took little solace in some extremely complimentary words from Patrick Mahomes in the wake of the Philadelphia Eagles' agonising Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hurts seemingly had the Eagles in position to win the Lombardi Trophy when they led the Chiefs 24-14 at half-time.

But the Chiefs produced an offensive masterclass in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 24-11 across the final two quarters in a bewitching contest at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

The turning point seemed to come in the third quarter, when the Eagles, still leading 24-21, went on a 17-play drive that lasted seven minutes and 45 seconds but ended in a Jake Elliott field goal.

Kansas City scored on their next two possessions, sandwiched by a three-and-out for the Eagles, to give the Chiefs a 35-27 advantage.

A 45-yard connection from Hurts to DeVonta Smith followed by a Hurts touchdown run and a two-point conversation tied the game, only for a 26-yard scramble from Mahomes, followed by a key holding penalty on Eagles corner James Bradberry, to put the Chiefs in position to bleed the clock and kick the decisive field goal.

It means Hurts' stunning second season as a starting quarterback ends in heartbreak despite a performance that would have netted him the MVP had Philadelphia prevailed.

Though Hurts had a fumble returned for a touchdown by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton in the second quarter, he broke the Super Bowl record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback (70). He also tied records for the most points scored by a single player (20) and the most touchdowns from scrimmage (3).

Mahomes and Hurts were the first two black starting quarterbacks to face off in Super Bowl history, and also had the youngest combined age of two starting Super Bowl quarterbacks at 51 years and 337 days.

And Mahomes lavished praise on his counterpart, saying of Hurts: "If there was any doubters left, there shouldn't be now.

"That was a special performance, I don't want it to get lost in the loss that they had. It was a special performance by him man, you make sure you appreciate that when you look back at this game."

But that provided no comfort for Hurts.

Asked about Mahomes' comments, he replied: "I have a lot of respect for him. I always have. He's done some really great things, thus far. For me, we lost.

"He came away with the win. We came up short, so it's something that I know will motivate me. I've been here before, and that's the beautiful thing about it, so I'll figure it out.

"You either win or you learn, that's how I feel. You either win or you learn. Win, lose, I always reflect on the things I could have done better, anything you could have done better to try and take that next step. That'll be the same process I always have going on.

"It is a tough feeling to come up short. It's a very tough feeling, but I know the direction is to rise and that will be the M.O. going forward, that will be the mentality going forward. That is the mentality. Obviously, credit to them for the game they played and very competitive football game and very competitive football team and coach Reid. We'll sit back, reflect on it and learn from it."

Pressed on the lesson he will take from this defeat, Hurts added: "You want to cherish these moments with the people that you've come so far with, your family, your loved ones, your team-mates, your peers, everyone that you do it with and do it for.

"I'm so proud of this team. I would say I'm so proud of this team for everything that we’ve been able to overcome. Obviously, we had a big-time goal that we wanted to accomplish and we came up short. I think the beautiful part about it is everyone experiences different pains, everyone experiences different agonies of life, but you decide if you want to learn from it. You decide if you want that to be a teachable moment. I know I do."

Andy Reid made it clear retirement is not on his agenda after his coaching masterclass helped the Kansas City Chiefs prevail in Super Bowl LVII.

The Chiefs trailed 24-14 to the Philadelphia Eagles at half-time at State Farm Stadium and appeared to be in some what desperate straits when Patrick Mahomes came up limping after a scramble late in the second quarter.

But Reid produced a masterful gameplan in the second half, tormenting the Eagles’ defense with a varied run-game approach and intelligent use of motion to give Mahomes easy completions.

Those easy completions propelled the Chiefs to a 38-35 win, sealed with a Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds remaining after a drive on which a remarkable 26-yard scramble from Mahomes put Kansas City in position to complete the comeback.

Reid had faced questions about potential retirement prior to the game and was again asked on the podium as he collected the Vince Lombardi Trophy, saying simply that he was going to "enjoy this one".

He declared his intentions more definitively in his post-game press conference, indicating he will back for a run at a third Super Bowl with Kansas City.

Travis Kelce remembers everyone who picked his Kansas City Chiefs to lose in Super Bowl LVII, and he told the doubters to "look at us now" after proving them wrong.

Kelce caught the Chiefs' opening touchdown in their 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, going on to finish with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown from his six targets.

It meant he finished with at least six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown in each of the Chiefs' three playoff games this season, having led all tight ends with 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer now has two titles to go with his seven All-Pro selections, and although the Chiefs are viewed as a dynasty in the making, Kelce still felt his team were being discounted ahead of the big game.

"Not a single one of y'all said the Chiefs were gonna take it home this year," he told FOX Sports. "Feel that s***. Feel it, and on top of it, next time the Chiefs say something, put some respect on our name."

During the celebrations, Patrick Mahomes called Kelce "the greatest ever" at his position, while Kelce also had some kind words for his quarterback.

"Pat Mahomes, M-V-Pat," he said. "You can't say nothing about what this guy means to Kansas City and this team."

When asked why he always seems to be able to get open, Kelce again pointed to the infrastructure around him.

"Come on, baby. I've got Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes," he said. "I have a great team, we had a great run, and, man, it feels good. Not one of y'all said the Chiefs were going to win it, and look at us now." 

The Chiefs trailed by 10 at half-time, and Kelce indicated the weight of the moment may have been getting to some, but everything flipped after the break.

"That first half – it was a big moment, a big game – a lot of guys playing a little uncharacteristic," he said. "We were able to regroup at half-time and figure it out – in that second half, man, we were flying around.

"[Coach Reid] just told everybody to be yourselves. We were a little uncharacteristic in the beginning, but everyone had that determination, that look in their eye, coming out here in the second half. 

"They were going to pour everything out on that field. That's what you saw. You saw everybody pour everything out on the field for the second half, and the Chiefs came away with the victory, baby."

Patrick Mahomes says the Kansas City Chiefs "are not done" after securing their second Super Bowl title in Sunday's 38-35 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mahomes was named Super Bowl LVII MVP after throwing three touchdown passes as the Chiefs rallied from 24-14 down at half-time, scoring with every second-half possession.

That marked Mahomes' second Super Bowl MVP award, having also claimed the gong in 2019 when the Chiefs triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Chiefs' triumph came after they were Super Bowl runners-up in 2020 and lost the AFC Championship Game in 2021, but Mahomes insisted it was not a dynasty yet.

"I'm not going say dynasty yet. We're not done, so I'm not going to say dynasty yet," Mahomes said during the post-game on-field presentation.

The Chiefs QB, who completed 21-of-27 attempts for 182 yards, became the first player to win the NFL MVP and Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999.

That ended a run of nine straight NFL MVPs to lose the decider, but he was eager to deflect the praise.

"It's everybody. It didn’t come from one person," Mahomes said.

"Everybody said we've got to step our game up. Our defense played their ass off in that second half and our offense found a way. I just want to thank everybody."

The 27-year-old quarterback appeared hampered by an ankle injury which has troubled him throughout the playoffs, but played on valiantly.

"I told you all this week there's nothing that'll keep me off this football field," Mahomes added. "I just want to shout out to my teammates. We challenged each other. It took everybody to win this football game. We're Super Bowl champs, let's go."

Patrick Mahomes again got the better of his injured ankle as his Kansas City Chiefs won an epic shoot-out with Jalen Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

A 38-35 Chiefs victory on Sunday added to Mahomes' now undeniable legacy, even if the result was harsh on Hurts, who went toe-to-toe with what is now the first league MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to go on and win it all.

Hurts, who scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Eagles would have been deserving champions had they faced anyone other Mahomes.

The Chiefs' hopes of winning the title had appeared remote when their quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But a hobbling Mahomes saw off the Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals and then, in Glendale, Arizona, the Eagles, taking a hit late in the second quarter but recovering to finish with three passing touchdowns and another title. 

A clinical opening drive from the Eagles ended with a quarterback sneak from Hurts for the opening score.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles had trailed in the playoffs to that point, but Mahomes had an instant reply with a TD pass to Travis Kelce.

The response was not initially so impressive in the second quarter, which began with a 45-yard Hurts bomb to A.J. Brown, yet the Chiefs were back level again when the Philly QB's fumble was recovered by Nick Bolton for a defensive TD.

Hurts quickly regained his composure and ran straight up the middle for his second rushing TD, before the Chiefs' next drive saw Mahomes limp away from a tackle, facing a 10-point deficit by the time he returned for the second half.

Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field for Isiah Pacheco to run in, and Kansas City had their first lead after the QB found Kadarius Toney wide open after some tricky pre-snap motion to walk into the endzone.

Momentum was now firmly with the Chiefs, and Toney's 65-yard punt return – the longest in Super Bowl history – put Mahomes in position for another straightforward TD pass to Skyy Moore.

Hurts was not done as a 46-yard pass to DeVonta Smith teed the QB up for another short TD run, followed by a successful two-point conversion.

That tied the game, yet Mahomes managed the clock to allow Harrison Butker to kick the decisive field goal and leave only eight seconds before the celebrations could start.

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes has his sights set on a second Super Bowl title on Sunday, and he will go into Sunday's clash with the Philadelphia Eagles as a two-time MVP.

Mahomes and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will face off at State Farm Stadium, having long since been seen as the two frontrunners for the MVP award.

A late-season shoulder injury damaged Hurts' hopes, while Mahomes made history with his tremendous production.

Despite seeing star wide receiver Tyreek Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, Mahomes threw for over 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in a single season for the second time in his career.

In doing so, he joined Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the third quarterback with multiple seasons with 5,000 or more passing yards, while only he and Brees have more than one season with 5,000 yards and 40-plus touchdowns.

Achieving such a feat made Mahomes the obvious choice for MVP, the 2017 first-round pick reclaiming the award he won in 2018 after his first full season as a starter, in which he threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns.

But Mahomes winning the MVP may not be a good omen for the Chiefs' Super Bowl prospects.

No NFL MVP has won the Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999, however, if anybody can end that run, it is Mahomes.

Patrick Mahomes will look to etch his name into the history books again on Sunday with victory in Super Bowl LVII, and he received inspiration ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs' clash with the Philadelphia Eagles from LeBron James' record-breaking exploits.

James scored 38 points for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, that tally seeing him move to 38,390 in his regular-season career and surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record of 38,387.

LeBron's history-making feat was a hot topic as the Chiefs spoke to the media on Wednesday, with Mahomes effusive in his praise for the man many consider the greatest basketball player of all time.

"Yeah, I mean, first off, I talk to him every once in a while and try to gain as much advice as possible," Mahomes said at a press conference. 

"But I think you gain inspiration because, I think, you heard him talking about it last night. It wasn't something that he was chasing.

"It wasn't something that he even thought was possible. He just continued to work every single year, every single day. And he got there and he's still at it, playing at a high level. And so, like I said, it's legendary stuff.

"I mean, there's some records that no one thinks will ever be broken. And to see a guy that puts in the work every single day and gets to that milestone who's not even a scorer first, he's one of the greatest scorers of all time and has the most points of all time. But he's not even a scorer.

"He just continues to work and work and try to win championships, and he's able to reach goals that I don't think anyone ever thought were going to be broken."

Andy Reid's assertion that Patrick Mahomes can do "everything in the game plan" despite his ankle sprain will boost confidence the Kansas City Chiefs can prevail in Super Bowl LVII, but their head coach does not want to be distracted by talk of a dynasty.

Mahomes has led the Chiefs back to the biggest stage despite suffering a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reid and his star quarterback have faced persistent questions about his physical condition, which will seemingly place no limitations on Mahomes at State Farm Stadium on Sunday as the Chiefs look to reclaim the Lombardi Trophy with victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, having last won it in Super Bowl LIV at the end of the 2019 season.

"Yeah, so he's been doing really well with his ankle," Reid said at his Wednesday press conference.

"We had a fast practice a couple days ago, and he moved well. He can really do just about everything, at least everything in the game plan that we've asked him to do. I think he'll be fine today."

For his part, Mahomes insists he will not have a complete picture of what he will be able to do until he steps on the field in Glendale, Arizona.

"I don't think you'll know exactly until you get to gameday," said Mahomes. "I'm definitely in a better spot. I definitely can move around better than I was moving last week or two weeks ago.

"So just trying to continue to get the treatment and the rehab and get to as close as I can to 100 per cent and then rely on some adrenaline to let me do a little extra when I'm on the field.

"It's going to be definitely better, more mobile, be able to move around a little bit better, for sure, and then we'll see on gameday how close to 100 per cent I can be."

Sunday's clash will mark the Chiefs' third Super Bowl appearance in four seasons, with Kansas City losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV a year after their win over the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Reid is not thinking about his team's place in NFL history.

"I'm not really into all that," Reid responded when asked if the Chiefs can be labelled a dynasty.

"I'll let you guys deal with that. It's important in our world as coaches and players you try to get better every day.

"You're only as good as your last game, or your next game I should say. We're striving to focus on this thing and try not to worry about all that stuff.

"That's good when you retire, kind of go 'hey, they said we were a dynasty', but right now we don't let that get in here [pointing at head], stay away from that."

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid conceded Patrick Mahomes is not 100 per cent healthy ahead of Super Bowl LVII.

Mahomes' health is the dominant storyline for the Chiefs ahead of their clash with the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Chiefs' Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, an injury that forced him to come out of the game before returning in the second half.

Mahomes subsequently played through the injury in the AFC Championship Game with the Cincinnati Bengals, willing them to a thrilling 23-20 victory.

Speaking at Opening Night on Monday, Mahomes said his ankle is "definitely better", however Reid on Tuesday clarified that his star quarterback is still not at full strength.

"Yeah, so I wouldn't tell you he is 100 per cent," Reid said.

"But the training staff works with him endlessly. I guess it'd be a tribute to both of them for Pat coming back for more and for those guys cranking on him."

Despite his ankle issue, Mahomes has still performed at a very high level in the postseason.

Across his two playoff games, Mahomes has completed 69.9 per cent of his passes for 521 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Reid is used to seeing Mahomes producing magic on the field, but even he has been taken aback by what his signal-caller has produced while playing on one healthy ankle.

"So, Julie [Frymyer, Chiefs physical therapist] spent most of the time with him," Reid added. "We've got all the latest greatest stuff to use, technology-wise, so he's used it all and has been able to make these jumps here where he can actually function and play in a game, which is very remarkable."

Patrick Mahomes never wants to experience the sour taste of defeat in a Super Bowl again, as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback prepares to face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mahomes was MVP when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV three years ago, but a year later they were outgunned by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Last season saw Kansas City edged out by the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, so they missed out on the biggest game of the year.

This time they are back in the spotlight in Phoenix, raring to go at Glendale's State Farm Stadium, and Mahomes underlined the highs and lows of the Super Bowl as he looked back on his mixed bag of experiences.

"The win is amazing," said Mahomes. "It's one of the best moments of your entire life. You take away all the positives from that.

"But that loss, that stings. That motivates you for years. That's what it's done for me. It's motivated me to be back in this game again. I want to make sure that I can have that winning feeling and not that losing one because that losing feeling is one you'll never forget."

He said the Eagles possess "one of the best defensive lines in history", and with both teams managing NFL-best 14-3 records in the regular season it is clear Sunday's match will see the two best teams of the year duke it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Ahead of Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes spoke at Opening Night, saying: "The motivating factor is to be the best.

"You're in the biggest game of your life, and you want to go out there and make memories with your teammates. I think the biggest motivating factor is to step on that field and try to be the best. We know we have a great challenge in the Philadelphia Eagles, so it'll be a great game."

There will be a first sight of two African American quarterbacks going head to head in a Super Bowl, with Mahomes facing Jalen Hurts.

"It's special," Mahomes said.

"I have a lot of respect for the guys who came before me and laid the foundation. To play against a guy like Jalen – a genuine, great dude who has worked his tail off to be in the position that he's in – it's going to be a special game and a special moment for a lot of kids to watch."

Patrick Mahomes' injured ankle is "definitely better" than before the AFC Championship Game as he prepares for his third Super Bowl appearance on Sunday.

Mahomes helped the Chiefs reach a third Super Bowl in five seasons by helping Kansas City defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Conference Championship on January 29.

It was a case of the MVP frontrunner overcoming the odds, knocking off a Bengals team that had stunned them at the same stage last season despite playing on a sprained ankle he suffered in the Divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mahomes will now go against a vaunted Eagles defense in a mouth-watering Super Bowl LVII clash at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

And he goes into the game seemingly in much improved shape.

Asked about his ankle at Super Bowl Opening Night in Phoenix on Monday, Mahomes replied: "It's definitely better for sure.

"You never know until you get into the game, but it's definitely better than it was this time last week before the game.

"I'll play through all the injuries that the trainers let me play through."

He then joked: "[Tight end] Travis Kelce hurts my feelings like every single day and I still play so I'm still going to play through it and try to get a win."

Mahomes threw for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, marking the second time in his already glittering career he has surpassed 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same season.

The Eagles represent arguably his biggest test yet, though, their defense the best in the NFL by yards per play allowed. In two playoff games, Philadelphia's defense has given up a combined 14 points.

Patrick Mahomes revealed as no surprise that he wanted to retain star wide receiver Tyreek Hill for this season, but he trusted the plan of Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.

Hill, 28, was drafted by the Chiefs as a fifth-rounder in 2015, and he is likely on track to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame after becoming one of the most devastating offensive weapons in league history.

He made the Pro Bowl every year from 2016-2022, and this season earned his fourth First Team All-Pro selection after setting career-highs with 119 receptions and 1710 yards with the Miami Dolphins.

Veach said there were warning signs early in free agency that Hill would demand a record-breaking contract for a receiver, and he had to make the painful decision to prioritise the defensive side of the ball instead.

"It became obvious as free agency started, given the way wide receiver contracts were going up, that it was going to be tough to do both [extend Hill and address the defense]," he said. 

The Chiefs knew some tough calls were on the horizon after Mahomes signed his NFL-record 10-year, $450million deal, as his salary jumped from $8m in 2021 to $35m this season.

Hill ended up signing a four-year, $120m deal – and in a salary-capped league, something had to give.

"Everyone knew what the next two or three years would look like and how many players we'd have to potentially cut and how difficult things would be,'' he said. "We would have had a lot of expensive players.

"It's hard to be successful in this league year after year. It's hard to win games year after year. There are going to be moments where we have to step out there and do something uncomfortable. 

"No one wanted to lose Tyreek – he's a great player. But if you're going to do something, trust the process and trust how you do things and don't be afraid to commit to change a year sooner when you have more ability to potentially make those changes work better.''

Veach said his willingness to make such a franchise-defining call is attributed to his belief that the franchise can not waste any seasons with Mahomes at the helm.

"When you have Pat Mahomes, we're wired to go after it every year,'' he said.

Mahomes himself said it was no secret that he wanted to re-sign Hill and keep the band together after winning the Super Bowl in 2020, but he understood all the moving pieces.

"I wanted to keep him, for sure,'' he said. "They had a plan for it, though. 

"They told me the plan and we were going to get these draft picks. We were going to go out there and bring in some free agent receivers, and I think they executed on that.

"We know that to keep having success in this league we have to keep evolving, keep getting better. I always want to be successful this year, but at the same time, I'm here for the long haul. 

"If we're going to have a long time here, I want to have a chance to win Super Bowls every single year.''

The Chiefs' other offensive star, Travis Kelce, said he had concerns after the Hill trade, including how effective the Chiefs might be on offense and what it all might mean for him.

"Yes, that was a question,'' he said. "But once I saw how hard guys were working, paying attention to details, how Pat keeps progressing as a quarterback... Right now, we're in a good routine that we just keep getting better. 

"You could feel that from the day we started from May until now."

Mahomes is in his fifth year as a starter, and after another spectacular season he is the favourite to add a second MVP to his resume, as well as a fourth All-Pro selection, while he prepares for a chance at his second championship.

Patrick Mahomes, Ryan Jensen and Conor McGregor are among those paying tribute to Tom Brady after the NFL veteran announced his retirement.

One year to the date after he first announced he was hanging up his cleats, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has confirmed he is quitting "for good" after previously walking back his decision.

Across a career stretching 23 years, two teams, seven Super Bowls and five MVP awards, the 45-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the sport's all-time greats.

His announcement has sparked an outpouring of affection and respect from his peers, with fellow quarterback Mahomes leading the tributes.

The Kansas City Chiefs man posted three goat emojis to Twitter, in reference to the acronym GOAT, which stands for greatest of all time.

Brady's Tampa Bay team-mate Jensen, who won Super Bowl LV alongside him, penned a heartfelt message after he helped him through injury last season.

"Thanks for pushing me every day this season, mentally and physically, to get back on the field," he wrote.

"I'm glad I was able to take the field with you one last time!  Enjoy retirement, don't dog me too much in the booth. Love ya man!"

Praise for Brady was not limited to American football, with MMA veteran McGregor praising the player's Irish roots.

Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter also offered his congratulations on "an unbelievable career", adding: "It was fun to watch!"

Brady spent the majority of his career with the New England Patriots, taking the team to six Super Bowl successes between 2000 and 2019.

He moved to the Buccaneers for the 2020 season, and inspired them to a surprise championship in his first campaign in Florida.

At the end of his career, Brady ranks first for a host of statistical categories.including most passing yards (89,214), regular season touchdowns (649) and playoff touchdowns (88).