NFL: Super Bowl LV-Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL: Super Bowl LV-Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady? Long term, this could easily become the NFL’s version of Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. But right now, the numbers are already telling a pretty loud story. Mahomes is miles ahead of Brady’s pace in several key statistical categories.
Any questions about the Kansas City Chiefs QB returning to his peak form after tearing his ACL appear to be fading fast. Through the first two weeks, the Chiefs quarterback has looked every bit like his old self, helping Kansas City remain undefeated. And at this pace, Mahomes is not chasing Brady’s legacy. Rather, he’s putting some serious pressure on the GOAT’s record book.
Is Patrick Mahomes Ahead of Tom Brady at 31?
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
Dec 8, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after the game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Mahomes is 31 and entering his 10th NFL season, ninth as a full-time starter. By this point, his résumé is already loaded: five Super Bowl appearances, three Lombardi Trophies, three Super Bowl MVPs and two regular-season MVP awards. And when you stack Mahomes’ numbers at 31 against Tom Brady’s, the gap is pretty eye-opening. According to Chiefs Capital on Instagram, Brady had 26,370 passing yards, 197 touchdowns, 86 interceptions, 14 playoff wins, three Super Bowl wins, two Super Bowl MVPs and one regular-season MVP by age 31.
Mahomes? He had 36,123 passing yards, 269 touchdowns, 86 interceptions, 17 playoff wins, three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs and two regular-season MVPs.
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That’s a whole lot of production, and Mahomes is doing it while playing in an era where defenses are constantly built to slow him down.
There was a little rust in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. Mahomes finished 15-of-27 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. But it hardly mattered. Kansas City’s defense and ground game did the heavy lifting as the Chiefs cruised to a 31-10 win.
Then came Sunday’s wild 33-30 overtime thriller against the Indianapolis Colts, and suddenly, vintage Mahomes was back on the menu. The Chiefs QB went 32-of-47 for 382 passing yards and three touchdowns without throwing a pick. Kenneth Walker III added 117 rushing yards, while Travis Kelce turned back the clock with nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City walked away 2-0, and Mahomes looked firmly back in his bag.
There’s another interesting wrinkle here. Mahomes’ last MVP season came in 2022. And it wasn’t exactly a coincidence that Kansas City’s rushing attack was also at its best over the previous four seasons, posting 0.02 EPA per rush. When the Chiefs can consistently run the football and force defenses to respect the ground game, everything opens up for Mahomes. He gets cleaner looks, defenses can’t simply tee off on him, and the offense becomes that much harder to defend.
So far, Mahomes is taking full advantage. And with the Chiefs sitting at 2-0, Kansas City is once again looking like a serious Super Bowl threat in the AFC.
But the bigger question is what happens from here. How much longer will Andy Reid patrol the Chiefs’ sideline? How many more seasons does Kelce have left in the tank? And perhaps most importantly, can Mahomes avoid the kind of championship drought Brady experienced? Brady’s career was essentially split into two different dynasties with the Patriots. He went 12 years between his third Super Bowl win over the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX and his fourth against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Mahomes already has three rings at 31. Could his next chapter look completely different from Brady’s? And if he keeps playing at this level, how long will he keep adding to a résumé that is already starting to look downright ridiculous?