On Sunday, Patrick Mahomes will play in his 100th NFL game, and what a resume he’s already built.
In six full seasons as a starter, the quarterback has won three Super Bowls, two MVPs and is a two-time All-Pro.
He has 224 touchdown passes since 2018 (his first year as a starter), at least 49 more than everyone else.
And, of course, there have been countless defining moments along the way, like his walk-off score against Mecole Hardman in last year’s Super Bowl against the 49ers.
Mahomes, whose 77 regular-season wins in 99 games are a record, is considered by many to be the best player in the sport today.
Patrick Mahomes will play his 100th game this Sunday and already has an incredible resume
But how does it compare 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 at age 29, it’s fair to compare Mahomes to another quarterback who is widely considered the GOAT: Tom Brady.
Of course, Mahomes is still nowhere near Brady’s ridiculous seven Super Bowl rings or the statistics he amassed in his 23 seasons.
But we’re not just talking about who played the longest: we’re talking about talent.
And while Brady was a 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 fewer than 60 percent of his passes in a Super Bowl-winning run.
Meanwhile, Mahomes has already produced an 11-touchdown run in the Super Bowl, something Brady has never done, and has earned a more convincing postseason reputation to this point (more on that later).
Then there is his otherworldly ability.
Patrick Mahomes brings an incredible combination of throwing ability and arm strength to the field.
Tom Brady, who retired with an incredible seven Super Bowls, is widely considered the GOAT
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 runner and wrestler, his cannon arm is stronger, and his ability outside the pocket has produced some truly amazing moments, such as his classic sidearm throws.
But the numbers also back Mahomes.
As SportsNet As noted above, Brady’s postseason stats were 3,217 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and three Super Bowls before his 30th birthday.
Mahomes, 29, has the same number of rings, but many more passing yards (5,135), more touchdowns (41) and fewer interceptions (8) in the playoffs.
Brady was, at times, an important piece on great defensive teams early in his career. Mahomes has always been the main driver of his team’s success.
Also, it’s worth noting Brady and Mahomes’ per-game averages (up to this point.
Mahomes has a higher completion percentage, more yards per attempt, more passing yards per game, and a higher passer rating.
Mahomes has had great postseason success in just six full seasons as a starter.
Relative to other multiple 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 as for Aaron Rodgers, another player commonly considered the most talented quarterback of all time, Mahomes has already surpassed his postseason accomplishments.
Ultimately, the Chiefs star has the accolades and ability to be considered the best.
Mahomes is NOT the GOAT
Part of being the GOAT is consistency and longevity, two things Mahomes has yet to demonstrate at this point.
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.
Over his last 19 regular-season games, he’s been pretty average by his standards: a 92.2 passer rating, 32 touchdowns and, crucially, 18 interceptions.
We know he can turn it on when needed, as he led the Chiefs to a second straight Super Bowl last year after putting in work during the regular season, but GOAT standards should stipulate that he’s reaching his best every night.
That has not been the case for some time now.
As for longevity, part of what made Brady (and others in the conversation, like Peyton Manning) so great was his success over such long periods of time.
Brady’s best passing season for yards came in his age-44 season with Tampa Bay, and his first and last Super Bowl wins came 19 seasons apart.
More generally, he greatly improved with age, and his high levels throughout his unusually long career set the standard for GOAT status.
Mahomes will struggle to improve as he starts at a higher point than Brady, but being the GOAT requires more than just six full seasons of greatness.
Mahomes has had a tough year in the regular season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Finally, we’ll throw in a wild card: how much of Mahomes’ success does he owe to the genius of Andy Reid?
Mahomes, of course, deserves a lot of credit for what he’s been able to accomplish in Kansas City, and it’s worth remembering that this was a franchise that was never able to get over the Alex Smith issue before he got there.
But Brady silenced many 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 elsewhere before GOAT status is anointed.
