The GOAT debate has been decided for quite some time given Tom Brady’s success. However, if Patrick Mahomes is to challenge that legacy, he needs a Super Bowl rematch before the GOAT calls it quits.
I have been preaching this since the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LV loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the best thing for Mahomes’s legacy is a rematch with Brady. While this may seem like the opposite of what you would want, having lost to this man and his team already, hear me out.
The Legacy Of Patrick Mahomes
Since bursting onto the scene as a full-time starter in 2018, Patrick Mahomes has taken the league by storm and never looked back. In his first season as a starter, he put up an incredible stat line of 5,000 yards and 50 passing TDs, and notched 12 wins with the Chiefs. Not to mention, he was able to lead the Chiefs to an AFC Championship game and earned himself an MVP in the process.
Since that first season under center, Mahomes has continued to do the spectacular. From 2019 to 2021, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have secured a Super Bowl championship and earned the right to host three additional AFC Championship games in Arrowhead Stadium, all while continuing to light up the stat sheet at a record pace along the way. His legacy is far from finished, but the foundation for his career is set and the potential to be the greatest is certainly there.
How Do They Compare?
In terms of accomplishments, Mahomes has a long way to go to catch Brady. While it pains me to say that, especially as a Chiefs fan, it is the truth. Patrick Mahomes is six Super Bowls behind the GOAT, 11 Pro Bowls, two All-Pros, two MVPs, thousands of yards, and hundreds of touchdowns behind as well. But Brady is entering his 23rd season! Meanwhile, Mahomes is just entering year six, his fifth as a full-time starter.
As far as Mahomes’s pace goes, he does not seem that far behind what Brady was. In Brady’s sixth season, fifth as a starter, he already had three rings and a couple of Pro Bowl appearances, but he really hadn’t come into his own yet. The Patriots teams of the early-2000’s were led by amazing defensive play, they really only needed a game manager to take care of the rest and that is what Brady provided. It wasn’t until Brady’s seventh season that he really became the QB he is today.
Patrick Mahomes has really led the charge for what QBs of the future are going to look like. Big arm, mobile, great IQ, and a great improviser when things don’t work out as planned. Brady’s game has aged like the finest wine, but the way Mahomes plays is going to be emulated by the next generation of NFL QBs, there is no doubt about that. If Brady is the Michael Jordan of the NFL, then Patrick Mahomes is the NFL’s Steph Curry.
Impact Of A Rematch
Head to head, Brady only holds a one-game advantage. The real downside of that statement is that two of Brady’s wins over Mahomes took place on the biggest stages when the stakes were highest. Patrick Mahomes still has a very young career, but when the GOAT debate takes place, people are going to go back to the 31-9 Super Bowl victory that Brady has over Mahomes.
When Brady announced his retirement, I know I was personally bummed. Not because I am a fan, but because I knew the Buccaneers were on the Chiefs schedule. The Chiefs and Buccaneers play each other for the first time since Super Bowl LV in week four of the regular season this year. If Mahomes is able to emerge victorious, it makes a Super Bowl rematch even more important as it would bring their record overall to a draw.
Not only would there need to be a deciding game in this case, but who wouldn’t want to see Brady-Mahomes VII? The best of seven is used in the MLB, NBA, and NHL, why can’t we use it for two of the best QBs in the game today, and likely two of the best all time. A chance for Patrick Mahomes to take the Super Bowl head to head win advantage away from Brady, while also closing the gap on total Super Bowls is a huge opportunity. I only hope both are able to lead their respective teams to the big game.
Dan Portillo
Check out some of Dan’s other Stadium Rant content here. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_tf40 and check in with his podcast The Fastest 40 on Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcasts, & anywhere you listen to podcasts!
