Debates about the greatest player of all time rage perpetually in many sports. But the NFL isn’t one of them — at least not at the moment. The undisputed GOAT is Tom Brady, who retired after the 2022 season with seven Super Bowl rings to his name. That’s more than any single franchise.
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Brady has rewritten nearly every meaningful QB record you can think of. And it seemed like no one would ever catch him. However, right when Brady’s career was winding down, flame-throwing Patrick Mahomes came along, who has had an unprecedented run so far.
Mahomes has reached the AFC Championship in each of his first seven seasons as a starting QB. He has also racked up three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVPs, and a litany of other honors. And he’s just 29. You’d think that someone making such a strong push for his GOAT status would rattle Brady. Wrong.
The New England Patriots legend has refused to “throw shade” at the latest NFL dynasty. Instead, he has taken the magnanimous fan approach: He simply enjoys watching just how good Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs are.
“How can I throw shade at someone who’s as amazing as he is? I know what he’s been through,” said Brady via Complex Sports.
“And I think the one position that I’m in now as a broadcaster, I do feel responsible. A), To tell the fans what I see and be honest and upfront about everything. But also realize that what these guys are doing on the field is extremely difficult. It’s a high level of skill,” he added.
Brady added that his policy for celebrating players rather than tearing them down doesn’t just apply to the best of the best like Mahomes. But all of the individuals taking the gridiron.
“You’re looking at any of the 32 teams who have a starting quarterback out there, that guy’s one of the best in the world at what he does. So do they make the right plays all the time? Certainly not. By the way, neither did I,” elaborated Brady.
“And I think you have to have this context and perspective, and you realize that it’s not about this harsh critique and that’s not really what it’s all about anyway,” he asserted.
Brady comes off as a healthy veteran voice in the NFL world right now. But we will say this: It’s probably pretty easy not to get too worked up about the QB chasing your legacy when you were able to beat that guy twice.
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Brady beat Mahomes in the 2018 AFC Championship and Super Bowl 55. His victories came when he was on the wrong side of 40 while the Chiefs’ star was in his prime.
However, in their first eight years in the league, Mahomes has racked up far gaudier numbers than Brady, apart from championships. Both had amassed three by the end of their first eight seasons. But apart from that, Mahomes has…
More yards, more completions, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and more rushing yards. A better completion percentage, a better passer rating, more yards per pass, better TD and INT rates. More wins, too, both regular season and postseason. Mahomes also has more All-Pros, more Pro Bowls, more Super Bowl MVPs, and more league MVPs.
However, those two head-to-head wins might always keep Brady above Mahomes in the GOAT conversation, no matter how many of Brady’s records Mahomes eclipses. And based on eight years of evidence, it certainly seems like he will eclipse a lot of them, if not all.
