It's All About the Rings for Patrick Mahomes
It isn’t easy to win a Super Bowl. Just ask former Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, who has exactly the same number of Super Bowl rings as I do. (Which, for the record, is zero.) Former Kansas City Chiefs legend and Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez even joked about coming out of retirement to try and win a ring with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The way elite players in all sports are judged in the conversation of their legacy as the greatest player of all time comes down to championships. In the discussion of greatest quarterbacks of all time, Mahomes has a long way to go. He got his first Super Bowl ring very early in his career, and that helps give him a chance to win many more, but it isn’t a guarantee.
In the entire history of the NFL, there are only 12 quarterbacks to have led their team to more than one Super Bowl victory. There are only four quarterbacks in NFL history to lead their team to more than two Super Bowl wins. Some of the best quarterbacks, in what many deem to be a quarterback-heavy era, never won a ring or have only won one.
For instance, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers each have one Super Bowl ring. Future Hall of Famer and current New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been stuck on one for over a decade. It’s safe to say many consider these three players having only one Super Bowl title to be a disappointment considering how long each player held elite status at their position.
Many consider former Chargers and current Colts quarterback Philip Rivers a Hall of Fame-caliber player, and he’s never reached a Super Bowl. Tony Romo could never get there either. Former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was seen as one of the rising stars in the league and never made it to a Super Bowl before injuries and mental toll forced an early retirement on him before the 2019 season. Quarterbacks such as Cam Newton and Matt Ryan, former league MVPs, have led their team to a Super Bowl but weren’t able to capitalize in those seasons. Russell Wilson is a consensus top-five quarterback in the league and was only able to get one Super Bowl ring to this point in his career. Nothing is certain.
The Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli, both have two rings each. It was considered an overachievement for Eli but in the eyes of many, it was seen as an underachievement for Peyton, who was in discussion for league MVP year-in and year-out throughout his career. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has two rings to his name. John Elway has two rings as well. Mahomes will join the company of these Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers if he wins one more. Would it be a disappointment if he finishes his career in the conversation with some of these names as a top 10 quarterback of all time?
Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman were 4-0 and 3-0 respectively in their trips to the Super Bowl. However, they aren’t typically talked about as the main reason those teams were winning Super Bowls at the time they won. They had all-time great defenses or running games that were leading the way, and while the quarterbacks were key cogs to the titles, they weren’t seen as THE reason those teams won so many Super Bowls.
The two quarterbacks who are generally considered to be the greatest of all time are former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana and former New England Patriots and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Montana was 4-0 during his dynasty run with the Niners and was called the GOAT until Brady came along. Brady’s 9 appearances and six Super Bowl wins are unmatched. Mahomes certainly has goals to win as many Super Bowl titles as Brady, but is that a realistic expectation?
If Mahomes plays until he’s 40 years old and doesn’t win another Super Bowl, his legacy will turn out like Favre, Rodgers and Brees. Potentially a top 10 quarterback of all time but left something on the table. If he wins one more Super Bowl, he jumps ahead of those names in the conversation. If he wins three Super Bowls, he catapults himself into a top-five all-time conversation. If he wins four, he jumps into a top-two conversation. If he wins five Super Bowls and eventually starts breaking Brees’ all-time passing yards record and moving past Brady and Brees on the all-time passing touchdown list, he could very well end up being considered the greatest quarterback of all time without having to win a sixth title. If Mahomes leads the Chiefs to six or more Super Bowl wins, there would be no question or debate who the best quarterback in the history of the NFL would be.
Nothing is certain but the unforeseen. Instead of worrying about what Mahomes’ legacy will be at the end of his career, enjoy what he does in the moment. Do not take for granted the opportunity to watch one of the best quarterbacks and stars in the NFL today. In the blink of an eye, he will be at the end of his new 10-year extension. What happens between now and then is icing on the cake for Chiefs fans. Enjoy the ride, wherever Mahomes and company lead us.
