Barely half a decade into his NFL career, Patrick Mahomes GOAT chances are already stirring up a debate among fans. Obviously, he has a long way to go to catch Tom Brady, who played for over two decades, won seven Super Bowls, and led one of the greatest NFL dynasties.
But there are already fans pushing Mahomes’ GOAT candidacy and wondering will Mahomes catch Brady as the unquestioned greatest quarterback ever.
Patrick Mahomes’ GOAT chances discussed
Of course, these types of questions are not to be taken lightly. Quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, and perhaps even Aaron Rodgers are surely ahead of Mahomes in the pecking order, at least for now.
But what are the chances that Mahomes becomes the GOAT one day and what does he need to do to make that happen? Let’s explore this question a little closer.
Talent
In terms of talent, there should be no doubt that Mahomes is good enough to one day become the GOAT. His arm strength and athleticism are both superior to Brady’s while his football IQ isn’t that far behind.
While he may never be able to have the intellectual mastery of the quarterback position the same way that Peyton Manning and Brady (to a lesser extent) displayed, Mahomes may not need to reach that level to become the GOAT. His arm talent and athleticism far exceed any of the other quarterbacks who have ever been in the discussion for the GOAT.
The only question is whether Mahomes can maintain a high level of play if and when his talents start to diminish with age because that’s something all of the all-time greats have been able to do.
Elevating teammates
Without question, one of the traits that have always elevated all-time great quarterbacks from everyone else is the ability to enhance the play of those around them. To be fair, Manning had receivers like Marvin Harrison, Joe Montana had Jerry Rice, and Brady was occasionally surrounded by elite receivers (although not always), including Randy Moss for a short period.
However, there is no doubt that average quarterbacks wouldn’t have reached the same level of success as Brady or Manning with the same supporting casts.
Granted, Mahomes had the luxury of having Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill around him for the first few years of his career. Those players surely made life easier for Mahomes with Kelce moving into the conversation among the GOAT tight ends whereas Hill continued to be an All-Pro player even after leaving Mahomes.
But keep in mind that Mahomes has had to overcome lackluster defenses with the Chiefs during the early part of his career. He’s been able to elevate his team to a level that has kept the wins coming for Kansas City regardless of the state of the team’s defense.
Award season
A huge part of the GOAT conversation happens on the awards front. Brady, somehow, finished his career with just three MVPs. But he also finished second or third in MVP voting on six other occasions, including four years as the runner-up. Manning, likewise, had five MVPs and four runner-up finishes. Brady was also a 15-time Pro Bowler who led the league in passing touchdowns five times and passing yards four times.
Obviously, Mahomes has to match or exceed those types of accolades to be considered a threat to surpass Brady as the GOAT. Of course, Mahomes already has two MVPs to his name at age 27.
He is also a five-time Pro Bowler who has led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice and passing yards once, doing both in 2022. But to match Brady’s accolades, Mahomes still has a lot of work to do.
Rings
Even more important than winning awards is winning championships. Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins, five Super Bowl MVPs, and 10 Super Bowl appearances help to set the bar high for Mahomes and anyone else. Winning championships is arguably the most important thing in the GOAT conversation. It’s part of the reason why Brady is the obvious choice for the GOAT over Manning, who has just two Super Bowl rings.
Of course, with two rings (and two Super Bowl MVPs) already, Mahomes is in a good position to one day match or exceed Brady’s seven championships. But just because it’s possible, doesn’t mean it’ll be easy.
Mahomes might have to spend his entire career trying to stay one step ahead of Joe Burrow’s Bengals, Josh Allen’s Bills, Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, Jalen Hurts’ Eagles, and other viable challengers. Those types of quarterbacks could help to limit Mahomes’ Super Bowl wins, just like Brady had plenty of challengers during his prime years as well.
Longevity
If Mahomes is going to match or exceed Brady in terms of accolades and championships, he’s going to have to come close to displaying similar longevity as well. The fact that Brady was able to maintain a high level of play for over two decades is part of what elevates him over the likes of Manning and Montana. It’s why he got to seven Super Bowl wins and 15 Pro Bowls.
Needless to say, the jury is still out on whether Mahomes has what it takes to maintain a high level of play for 10-15 more years. Remember that Brady won an MVP and three Super Bowls in his final seven seasons, all after turning 38. He actually won four Super Bowls after the age of 35. Few athletes in any sport have shown they can do that, which is yet another reason why Brady stands alone as the GOAT.
Anything is possible
Of course, anything is possible; after all, the player selected 199th overall in 2000 became the GOAT. Mahomes undoubtedly has the talent to become the GOAT and has proven that he can elevate his teammates the way all-time greats in all sports are able to do.
He’s also set a strong foundation for being able to match or exceed many of Brady’s accomplishments. However, it’s important to remember that the bar is set incredibly high. There is a long road ahead of Mahomes if he expects to be good enough for long enough to make it clear that he is the GOAT and not Brady. But if anyone can do it, that player is probably Mahomes.
