On February 7th, 2021, Tom Brady’s Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, earning Brady his 7th Super Bowl ring. Brady has now won more Super Bowls himself than any NFL franchise. This achievement appeared to solidify Brady as the consensus greatest football player of all time for the foreseeable future. Going into the 2022 season, the suggestion that anyone would challenge Brady’s GOAT status within the next decade seemed preposterous. Any argument for great QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees could be countered with the fact that Brady simply has far more championships than all of them. However, Mahomes’ unprecedented run of success in his first six seasons as a starter has put him in a position to potentially claim the title of GOAT just 3 years after Brady beat him in the Super Bowl. A victory this year would earn Mahomes a third ring, which seems miniscule compared to Brady’s seven. However, there are other factors that could play a role in Mahomes’ case for being the greatest of all time should he win this year. There are definitely two sides to this argument, so let’s look at both…
Why a Super Bowl Victory Would NOT Make Patrick Mahomes the New GOAT
The arguments against Mahomes becoming the greatest NFL player of all time with a Super Bowl win are logical yet boring. Many Brady fans will say Mahomes has simply not played enough football to earn that title. Brady was a Pro Bowl-caliber QB from 2001-2022. Mahomes is in just his sixth year as a starter. Part of the reason Brady is considered the GOAT is because he was able to maintain his elite level of play for over two decades. Defenses had countless opportunities to figure out how to stop him and they couldn’t ever do it. While Mahomes certainly has the opportunity to play at an elite level for many years to come, he cannot be considered the GOAT until he actually does so. The other argument that will be made to defend Brady’s GOAT status is that he beat Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. This whole debate would be different if the Chiefs had won in 2021. Mahomes would be going for his fourth Super Bowl in six years, and Brady would only have six rings. However, I believe this is a weak argument. It’s easy to forget what happened three years ago, but Mahomes played just as well as Brady in that Super Bowl. The difference is, Brady had a much better defense and offensive line. The Chiefs were asking much more of Mahomes than the Bucs were asking of Brady in that game. Alas, the Bucs did win and that has to be taken into consideration at least a little bit.
Why a Super Bowl Victory WOULD Make Patrick Mahomes the New GOAT
Alright, now that we’ve got that first part over with, let’s get to the fun stuff. Despite Mahomes’ lack of longevity and loss to Brady in Super Bowl LV, there are some arguments that could be made in support of him being the GOAT if he wins this year. First, Brady has never won a Super Bowl with an offense as bad as the Chiefs have right now. I will say that in the Chiefs first three playoff games, players like Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Isaiah Pacheco have stepped up in a big way to help pave their path to the Super Bowl. However, for the entirety of the regular season, the Chiefs offense was one of the most underwhelming, hard-to-watch offenses in the league. Players like Kadarius Toney, Justin Watson, and Marquez Valdez-Scantling were becoming memes for how often they dropped easy passes. Kelce also had his worst statistical season in years. With Tyreek Hill thriving in Miami, it seemed as if this Chiefs dynasty was truly on its way out. For this reason, the Chiefs were underdogs in both of their away playoff games. Most people thought the Bills would take them down, and after that didn’t happen people were certain the Ravens defense would be enough to stop this Chiefs offense. But no. Now, the Chiefs play the 49ers, who might just be the best NFL team in the last decade. A big statement, but with all the star power they have on both offense and defense, not a preposterous one. If Mahomes is able to figure out a way to beat this powerhouse team with his mediocre offense, it will be more impressive than any of Brady’s Super Bowl runs.
This Super Bowl will be excellent, and the Brady-Mahomes GOAT debate will live on for years regardless of whether or not Mahomes wins this year. Personally, I do not think a Super Bowl victory would make Mahomes the new GOAT, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Patriots fan. However, it seems whatever offense you give Pat, no matter how bad, he will still find a way to win. If that stays true for the next 5-10 years of his career, it will be hard to not hand Mahomes the title of GOAT.
