Despite leading the Chiefs to a victory in Super Bowl LVIII, 2023 was arguably a challenging season for Patrick Mahomes. He finished the regular season with a 10-6 record across 16 starts, his fewest wins in a full season as a starter. He also recorded just 27 touchdown passes, his lowest total since 2019, when he missed games due to injury. On top of that, he threw 14 interceptions, while posting a 48.2% success rate and a QBR of 63.1, both career lows.
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He was expected to get better in 2024. But it was the worst statistical season of his career.
He averaged just 7.0 yards per attempt and 261.4 passing yards per game, both the lowest of his career. His touchdown rate fell to 4.5%, another personal low, while his interception rate climbed to 2.3%, the highest he’s ever posted. His passer rating dropped to 92.6, and he was sacked on 4.33% of his dropbacks, also career worsts across the board. But according to Cole DeRuse, Mahomes is still the elite QB we have grown to know him as.
“Mahomes wasn’t perfect, we all know that. But he was also the most hit quarterback in the league. He didn’t trust his line because he didn’t have a capable left tackle. He had no wide receiver one, wide receiver two, or running back one. The offense looked anemic, and this caused a decline in Mahomes’ stats,” he explained on his podcast.
Citing the example of Tom Brady, his guest Seth Keysor, noted how the GOAT’s stats also indicated “down years” according to his team situation, because “situation matters.”
“If you go look at Tom Brady’s PFR page, watch how his stats vary from year to year. There might be a two or three-year time period where it’s pretty similar, but then it dips. Then it rises way up and then it dips…Even the GOAT is not immune to situation.”
Despite leading the New England Patriots to a 12–4 record and an AFC East title, Tom Brady’s 2019 season (his final year in New England) showed clear signs of decline, both for him individually and for the offense as a whole.
Brady threw 24 touchdown passes, the fewest he had in a full season since 2006. His completion percentage dipped to 60.8%, marking his lowest since 2013. Still, he maintained his reputation for protecting the football, throwing only 8 interceptions over the course of the season.
However, the Patriots’ offense struggled mightily down the stretch, particularly in the second half of the year. Brady’s efficiency dropped off noticeably, especially on deep throws.
The Patriots entered the playoffs with a first-round Wild Card matchup, where they were upset at home by the Tennessee Titans. It was Brady’s final game as a Patriot, and it ended with a pick-six, symbolic of the team’s broader offensive issues. While his numbers weren’t disastrous, the season marked a clear downturn from Brady’s elite standard and foreshadowed his departure from New England
Brady’s 2021 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a remarkable resurgence that showcased dramatic improvement over his final year in New England. Statistically, he set career highs in passing yards (5,316) and completions (485), while also leading the league in touchdowns (43), a sharp increase from the 24 he threw in 2019.
His completion percentage climbed from 60.8% to 67.5%, and his passer rating jumped from 88.0 to 102.1—reflecting improved accuracy, decision-making, and overall efficiency. This leap was fueled by a more aggressive and high-volume approach, bolstered by a deep receiving corps and greater familiarity with Tampa Bay’s offensive system in his second year.
At age 44, Brady not only adapted but thrived, proving he could still lead one of the league’s most explosive offenses while defying expectations around age and decline. All of this to say, highs and lows are an expected part of the game of football. If Brady could bounce back in his 40s, surely we can expect to see much of the same elite quarterback play from Mahomes soon enough.
