On Sunday, Patrick Mahomes will play in his 100th NFL game – and what a resumé he has built already.
In six full seasons as a starter, the quarterback has won three Super Bowls, two MVPs and is a two-time All-Pro.
He’s got 224 passing touchdowns since 2018 (his first year as a starter) – at least 49 more than everyone else.
And of course, there have been countless clutch moments along the way, like his walk-off score to Mecole Hardman in last year’s Super Bowl vs. the 49ers.
Mahomes – whose 77 regular season wins through 99 games are a record – is considered by many to be the best player in the sport today.
But how does he stack up historically?
As he prepares for a centurion of NFL appearances, Mail Sport looks at the arguments for and against him already being the GOAT.
Mahomes IS the GOAT
With the third-most Super Bowl wins of any quarterback ever already at 29 years old, it’s fair to compare Mahomes to another quarterback who is widely considered the GOAT: Tom Brady.
Of course, Mahomes is not yet near Brady’s ridiculous seven Super Bowl rings or the counting stats he accumulated in his 23 seasons.
But we’re not just talking about who played the longest – we’re discussing talent.
And while Brady was part of some great Super Bowl-winning teams, he hasn’t always been the centerpiece.
In his first Super Bowl run with the Patriots in 2001, Brady threw just one touchdown, and on two other occasions (2003 and 2020), he completed less than 60 percent of his passes on a Super Bowl-winning run.
Meanwhile, Mahomes has already produced an 11-touchdown Super Bowl run – something Brady has never done – and has put together a more compelling postseason reputation to this point (more on that later).
Then there’s his otherworldly ability.
Brady thrived as a more traditional pocket passer for the Patriots – and became a shining example of that archetype.
But Mahomes has even more to his game.
He’s a better rusher and scrambler, his cannon of an arm is stronger and his ability out of the pocket has produced some truly jaw-dropping moments, like his classic sidearm throws.
But the numbers back up Mahomes too.
As SportsNet previously pointed out, Brady’s postseason stats were 3,217 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, nine interceptions and three Super Bowls before turning 30.
Mahomes, 29, has the same amount of rings, but way more passing yards (5,135), more touchdowns (41) and less interceptions (8) in the playoffs.
Brady was, at times, an important cog in great defensive teams earlier in his career. Mahomes has always been the main driver of his team’s success.
Additionally, it’s worth noting the per-game averages of Brady and Mahomes (to this point.
Mahomes has a higher completion percentage, more yards per attempt, more passing yards per game and a higher passer rating.
With respect to the likes of other multi-Super Bowl winners like Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman, Mahomes is playing against what many would consider the most athletic defenders in the history of the sport.
And with respect to Aaron Rodgers, another player commonly held up as the most talented quarterback ever, Mahomes has already surpassed his postseason achievements.
Ultimately, the Chiefs star has the accolades and the ability to already be considered the best.
Mahomes is NOT the GOAT
Part of being the GOAT is consistency and longevity – two things Mahomes has not yet proved at this time.
Let’s start with consistency.
While Mahomes has put together some outrageously good seasons, he’s quietly been struggling a bit for over a year now.
In his last 19 regular season games, he’s been rather ordinary by his standards: a passer rating of 92.2, 32 touchdowns and – crucially – 18 interceptions.
We know he can turn it on when necessary, as he led the Chiefs to a second-straight Super Bowl last year after laboring through the regular season, but GOAT standards should stipulate that he’s reaching his best level on a nightly basis.
That hasn’t been the case for a little while now.
On longevity, part of what made Brady (and others in the conversation, like Peyton Manning) so great was their success over such long periods of time.
Brady’s best passing season by yards came in his age-44 season with Tampa Bay, and his first and last Super Bowl wins came 19 seasons apart.
More broadly speaking, he largely got better with age, and his his high levels throughout his uncommonly long career set the bar for GOAT status.
Mahomes will struggle to get better, as he’s starting at a higher point from Brady, but being the GOAT requires more than just six full seasons of greatness.
Finally, we’ll throw a wild card in: how much of Mahomes’ success does he owe to Andy Reid’s genius?
Mahomes of course deserves plenty of credit for what he’s been able to achieve in Kansas City, and it’s worth remembering that this was a franchise that could never get over the hump with Alex Smith before he got there.
But Brady silenced a lot of skeptics when he left New England for Tampa Bay after 20 years and immediately won a Super Bowl outside the confines of ‘the Patriot Way.’
Mahomes’ greatness shouldn’t be doubted one bit, but perhaps we need to see him win somewhere else before GOAT status is anointed.
