According to the former teammate of Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes is quite close to matching seven rings—longevity does matter.
The NFL landscape is roiling with fiery debate following the thrilling aftermath of Super Bowl LVIII, where Patrick Mahomes won his third championship following a confrontation with the 49ers.
Is Mahomes the one who will dethrone the great Tom Brady as the all-time quarterback? Brady has enjoyed long-standing support in the GOAT conference thanks to his several inspirational Super Bowl victories and MVP awards.
However, Mahomes’ meteoric rise—securing three Super Bowl victories in just five seasons as the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs—has prompted accurate parallels.
Insights from Brady’s previous club add fuel to the flames as the football community struggles with this big change.
Former Patriots running back James Whitfield on the Brady vs. Mahomes GOAT debate
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, former Patriots running back James White discussed Mahomes’ chance to unseat Brady as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.
Brady’s remarkable career spanning more than two decades, during which he accumulated an unparalleled seven Super Bowl championships, highlighted the value of longevity, according to White.
Patrick Mahomes has won three Super Bowls already. He has that Tom Brady effect when he’s in a football game—you know, Oh, they have Patrick Mahomes on the other side, we can’t relax, you can’t slip up because if you give them the opportunity, fourth quarter minute left last possession, he always finds a way to come through.
He’s well on his way; he’s very dynamic, and thus, White noted, it is a perfectly reasonable expectation for him to assume he can catch him.
Interestingly, looking at the numbers makes Mahomes’ rise to prominence increasingly clear.
In comparison to Brady, Mahomes has played in the league for a shorter period of time, but his record is still very outstanding. Mahomes, who is 26 years old, has now won three Super Bowls, matching Brady’s early career achievements. Moreover, after the same number of games, Mahomes has better performance stats in a lot of categories.
Brady raised the standard with his extraordinary success, but Mahomes has shown he can outperform him in a few areas. Mahomes poses a serious threat to Brady’s legacy with two NFL MVP awards, six Super Bowl appearances, and an unblemished record of being voted MVP in every championship victory.
Mahomes will face obstacles in his attempt to unseat Brady as the uncontested GOAT, though. Brady’s unmatched longevity and ability to perform well into his 40s are still evidence of his remarkable fortitude and tenacity.
Furthermore, Brady’s success in two Super Bowls under two different coaches and two different clubs (the Patriots and the Bucs) highlights his adaptability and versatility, traits that Mahomes might find difficult to match.
