Patrick Mahomes had a golden opportunity to solidify his legacy and stake his claim as the GOAT on Sunday. Many believed that completing a historic three-peat would have propelled him ahead of Tom Brady in the conversation. However, it wasn’t meant to be.
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The two-time MVP suffered his second Super Bowl loss, falling to the Eagles in a lopsided defeat.
With the three-peat off the table, does this mean the GOAT debate is over? Some believe it is, but others, like Brandon Marshall, argue that Mahomes can still catch up.
On the latest episode of the I Am Athlete podcast, Marshall insisted that the GOAT debate is far from settled. He called it “a discourse of our time”—one that won’t fade away as long as people keep discussing it.
While the conversation may quiet down for now, he believes it will reignite the moment Mahomes returns to another Super Bowl.
” The GOAT conversation isn’t over until we stop talking about it. This is the conversation now. The conversation is that GOAT’s conversation is over until he goes back and wins another one. Then we’re going to start up again. The conversation is not over.”
The debate has raged on since last season, with many already placing Mahomes ahead of Brady. Marshall admitted that had Mahomes pulled off the three-peat, he would have placed him alongside TB12 as the greatest of all time.
But even without it, he stressed that the loss doesn’t diminish Mahomes’ incredible season or his achievements. He argued that one defeat doesn’t erase his legacy—it just adds another chapter to it.
However, others who believe that it is over, feel that Patrick needs to win 8-9 Lombardi Trophies to get that GOAT status. Brady has already beaten him twice in the playoffs, including a Super Bowl. However, Brandon Marshall still believes the two-time MVP has a lot of years left in him to make up for lost ground.
There is a long way to go for Mahomes
The Chiefs QB is 3-2 in the Super Bowl. In those games, he had only a 65 percent completion rate, averaging 265 yards with an 86 passer rating. He has thrown only 10 TD passes and seven interceptions. Brady on the other hand, is 7-3 in the Super Bowl, with 21 TDs and only six picks to go with five MVPs.
Joe Montana too has a superior record in the Big Game. He won three Super Bowl MVPs like Patrick but threw 11 TDs in four finals and no interceptions with a passer rating of 127. He has won 4 Super Bowls.
In TB12’s three Super Bowl losses, the point differential between his team and the opponents was -15 while in Mahomes’s two losses, it is -41. In Super Bowl 59, he essentially gave 14 points.
That said, Patrick Mahomes is only in his eighth NFL season at just 29 years old. With plenty of prime years ahead—especially considering Tom Brady played until he was 45—Mahomes still has time to chase history. TB12 didn’t win his fourth ring until he was 37, and with the Chiefs making the Super Bowl nearly every year, Mahomes has a strong chance to secure his fourth long before reaching that age.
Even if he never wins another championship, Patrick Mahomes is already a surefire Hall of Famer. The GOAT conversation, however, is always evolving. Each new generation produces players who push the limits, striving to surpass those who came before them.
That said, when it comes to the GOAT debate, most fans believe there can only be one. For now, that title belongs to Tom Brady. To claim it, Mahomes must do more than just rack up accolades—he has to outdo Brady. That means winning at least seven Lombardi Trophies and sustaining elite play for decades.
The biggest question is whether Mahomes is willing to make the same sacrifices as Brady, who dedicated every aspect of his life to football. So far, it doesn’t seem like he’s prepared to go to those extremes—but only time will tell.
