Why Mahomes Still Has Gaping Super Bowl Window

Like a wide-open receiver, Patrick Mahomes is staring into a bright future, according to history.

Oct 2, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greet after the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ben Rothlisberger and Mark Sanchez.

Those were the starting quarterbacks the last time the NFL kicked off an AFC championship game without either Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady.

Jan 16, 2011; Foxboro, MA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) takes the snap in the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

And when Sanchez’s Jets that season beat Brady’s Patriots in the divisional round, a lot of people said Brady’s Super Bowl window was slammed shut.

There’s a similar refrain surrounding Mahomes after the Chiefs suffered a 20-10 loss to Houston Sunday night. Even coaches are under fire, something rare in an organization with so much sustained success.

“You’re just getting late in the season,” Mahomes said Sunday night after the Chiefs fell to 6-7. “You're not gonna get these opportunities back, and that's a good football team. But we had chances, and we didn't execute at the right time to win it.”

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) looks on during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Historic December low

And because they didn’t win it, dropping below .500 in December for the first time since the Chiefs finished 2-14 in 2012, the unthinkable is on the Chiefs’ doorstep this week. A loss to the Chargers on Sunday (12 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan) would eliminate Kansas City from the postseason for the first time since 2014.

But history says Mahomes, 30, has a gaping Super Bowl window, not one that’s sealed shut. Brady won three Super Bowls before his 28th birthday. Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl five months after turning 28.

Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (left) and quarterback Tom Brady (right) talk after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

And as Hall of Fame writer Rick Gosselin said Sunday, Brady won more Super Bowls (four) in his later career than he did during the first half of his playing days (three).

For all those who think the championship window has closed on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Just a reminder that Tom Brady went nine consecutive seasons during the prime of his career (ages 28-36) without winning a Super Bowl. Then won four more thereafter.

— Rick Gosselin (@RickGosselin9) December 8, 2025

Brady also lost three Super Bowls over his long career. Mahomes, now in Year 7 as a starter, has lost only two. Obviously, no one takes even getting to the big game for granted.

Remember the postseason without the Patriots?

Most people forget that Brady’s early career included a missed-playoff season, and it wasn’t 2008, the year when Kansas City’s Bernard Pollard ended Brady’s season with a torn ACL in Week 1.

It was 2002, the year after his storybook run to beat Kurt Warner and the high-octane Rams, when owner Robert Kraft united the country with, “We are all Patriots.”

New England spent the following postseason, 2002, where the Chiefs most likely will be next month: On the couch.

Nov 3, 2002; Orchard Park, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; Buffalo Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel (94) and London Fletcher (59) tackle New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Bills 38-7. Mandatory Credit: MPS-Imagn Images | MPS-Imagn Images

Brady’s answer to missing the playoffs was consecutive Super Bowl victories. After that accomplishment, the league went 19 more years before another team did it. That team was Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The Patriots of 2025, ironically, are writing a bit of a cautionary tale. While the league is excited about Drake Maye – as well as Bo Nix in Denver and Caleb Williams in Chicago – remember that since Sanchez led the Jets to that 2010 AFC championship game, that franchise has yet to return to the postseason.

The Jets’ playoff drought now stands at 15 years, the longest active streak in North American sports.

Patrick Mahomes is seeking his 112th win since becoming a full-time starter in 2018.

He can match Tom Brady for the most wins in NFL history by a QB in an 8-year span (incl playoffs)

— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) December 7, 2025

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