Kansas City’s new backup sees common threads between two of the game’s greats

After coming over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Blaine Gabbert sees similarities between his old coworkers and his new ones.

“They are maniacal perfectionists,” the backup said of current teammate Patrick Mahomes and former teammate Tom Brady at the podium on Thursday after Day 9 of organized team activities (OTAs). “And I mean that in the most endearing way possible. They are of the two best, in my opinion, to ever play the game.”

The former Missouri quarterback signed with Kansas City in April after spending three seasons in Tampa — the last two with Brady.

“You see the similarities and how they operate, meeting rooms, practice field,” Gabbert continued on the comparison. “Now, they are completely different players, as we all know, but the way they approach the game on and off the football field is the exact same way, and you can see why both have had sustained success early on and throughout their careers.”

Gabbert says former Chiefs backup Chad Henne helped convince him to sign with the reigning champs, touting a strong organizational structure from the front office to head coach and down to the starting quarterback.

“[Mahomes is] a master of the system,” added Gabbert. “He’s still approaching it like it’s Day 1, still taking notes the same way as he did as a rookie.

“There’s always something that he wants to work on, always something to improve on, and always something to get better at.”