Patrick Mahomes is well on his way to staking a claim as the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL, but some league legends aren't totally convinced just yet.
At just 29 years old, the Kansas City Chiefs superstar has already won three Super Bowls and two MVP awards on top of a boatload of other accomplishments, and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Patrick Mahomes NFL Accomplishments (2017-Present)
Super Bowl Championships
Super Bowl MVP Awards
NFL MVP Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
NFL Passing TDs Leader
Pro Bowl Selections
All-Pro Selections
AFC Championships
Mahomes' unique blend of athleticism, arm strength and accuracy, and his ability to continuously deliver huge plays in clutch situations make him and the Chiefs championship contenders virtually every season.
While he still has a ways to go in catching up to Tom Brady in the GOAT debate, it's hard to think of anyone else who has put up as impressive of a resume before turning 30 in the history of the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger still isn't convinced, however, and thinks Mahomes has some other names to leapfrog before he can be in the conversation for the greatest of all time.
Roethlisberger Would Take Prime Aaron Rodgers Over Mahomes
On a recent episode of his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former superstar claimed that he would rather have future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers than Mahomes under center, in their respective primes.
"Well, I would take Aaron in his prime over Patrick now. I think Aaron Rodgers in his prime was one of the top few to ever do it — and so is Patrick Mahomes at his prime. Patrick Mahomes is just going out of his prime, I think."
Fans accustomed to Mahomes' weekly brilliance would probably raise an eyebrow at these comments, especially since Rodgers (now age 41) looks like a shell of his former self these days.
But Roethlisberger might have a real argument, considering how dominant Rodgers was with the Green Bay Packers during the 2010s and early 2020s. Rodgers won four MVP awards (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021) and a Super Bowl in 2011, while putting up ridiculous stats year over year for over a decade.
It's difficult to narrow down Rodgers' true prime, considering he's been in the league for 20 seasons, but for comparison's sake, here are the stats from the two quarterbacks' respective best seasons.
|Aaron Rodgers vs Patrick Mahomes - Best NFL Seasons|
|Category|Aaron Rodgers (2011)|Patrick Mahomes (2018)|
|---|
|Team|Green Bay Packers|Kansas City Chiefs|
|Record|14–1 (rested in Week 17)|12–4|
|Passing Yards|4,643|5,097|
|Passing Touchdowns|45|50 (led NFL)|
|Interceptions|6|12|
|Completion %|68.3%|66.0%|
|Passer Rating|122.5 (3rd-best all-time)|113.8|
|Rushing Yards / TDs|257 yards / 3 TDs|272 yards / 2 TDs|
|NFL MVP|2011 NFL MVP|2018 NFL MVP|
|Playoff Result|Lost in Divisional Round to Giants|Lost in AFC Championship to Patriots (OT)|
There's so little between Rodgers and Mahomes in these two seasons, and the same can be said for their respective prime years. There's no doubt that Mahomes has had a better career before the age of 30, however, as Rodgers had only won one Super Bowl and one MVP by age 29.
Mahomes' Trainer Fires Back at Roethlisberger
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Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It didn't take long for Mahomes' camp to get wind of Roethlisberger's comments. The three-time Super Bowl MVP's longtime trainer, Bobby Stroupe, clapped back at the Steelers icon on X with a short but potent message.
The response suggests that Stroupe cares less about the comparison to Rodgers, and more about the fact that Roethlisberger claimed Mahomes is exiting his prime at just 29 years old.
It's unclear whether the zinger was meant to target Roethlisberger's conditioning during his career. The Lima, Ohio native won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh (both coming before the age of 30), but he was still quite effective in the back half of his career, leading the league in passing yards twice and making four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances between 2014 and 2017.
Big Ben retired in 2021 at age 39 after 18 NFL seasons, all with the Steelers.
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