It’s only Week 2 yet fans are already being treated to one of the best games of the regular season, a Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The last time we saw these two teams face off, Patrick Mahomes was on the cusp of securing a historical three-peat for the AFC’s perennial contenders, but he fell incredibly short of that feat by throwing a pair of interceptions in the midst of 40-22 loss.
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Conveniently enough, however, this rematch is offering him not only a chance at redemption, but also a new bit of history. After recording 258 passing yards in the Chiefs’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, the nine-year veteran now has a career total of 32,610 passing yards, putting him well within striking range of Troy Aikman’s record.
The former face of the Dallas Cowboys retired with 32,942 career passing yards after 12 years of play, the 45th most of any quarterback in NFL history. Mahomes was able to catch up to him in nearly half the time, and now, he’ll walk into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday needing just 333 passing yards to eclipse Aikman for good.
Of course, that’s easier said than done against this Philadelphia defense, who has only allowed one 300+ passing yard performance in the last calendar year. Baker Mayfield was able to produce 347 passing yards against the Eagles in Week 4 of the 2024 regular season, and even then, it still took 47 pass attempts and a passer rating of 100.2 to get the job done.
It’s also worth mentioning that Mahomes has recorded just two 300+ passing yard performances in the last year as well. His form against the Chargers was encouraging, especially when you consider the fact that the team had to travel to Brazil for the event, but a shortage of receiving talent will likely continue to hinder his metrics.
Factor in that the Eagles had no issue in reaching him, sacking him a total of six times throughout the Super Bowl, and it seems a bit unlikely that Mahomes will be able to surpass Aikman this Sunday. Thankfully, his career average of 4,906 passing yards per 17 games suggests that he will inevitably rank higher on the all-time than most.
Should manage to play for another 11 seasons, and reach the 20-year veteran mark like his predecessors in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, then that would put Mahomes at a career total of 86,576 passing yards, which would be the second most by any signal caller in the history of the game.
Although, he’d still be one season shy of threatening Brady’s record. The seven-time Super Bowl champion currently sits atop his throne with a career total of 89,214 passing yards.
Pair that with a victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs at Super Bowl LV, and it seems safe to say that, unless he is able to start breaking multiple records, the NFL’s current golden boy is destined to be remembered as the second-best quarterback of the modern era.
