GOAT vs. 'Kid': Can Patrick Mahomes Catch Patriots Icon Tom Brady?
One's in Disneyland celebrating, and one's in retirement posting "thirst trap" underwear photos.
But make no mistake, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady are closer than we think. At least for now.
The Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback led a scintillating comeback to win Super Bowl LVII last Sunday, winning his second title and second MVP in the process. When Brady retired at age 45 earlier this month, the general consensus was that no one would ever approach the accomplishments of the New England Patriots' icon.
Brady remains the GOAT. But is Mahomes suddenly the baby goat, er, "kid"?
Neither, of course, started as a rookie, making the comparison between Brady’s first six seasons (2000-05) and Mahomes’ first six (2017-22). Brady won his first Super Bowl in his second year; Mahomes in his third.
But taking a closer look, one could argue that Mahomes is off to an even faster start than Brady. He has more appearances in AFC Championship Games, more wins, more MVPs, more All-Pros, more passing yards and touchdowns, a better completion percentage and fewer interceptions.
At age 27, remarkably, Mahomes has us at least pondering if catching Brady is possible. A comparison of their first six seasons:
Super Bowl Victories: Brady 3, Mahomes 2.
Super Bowl MVPs: Brady 2, Mahomes 2.
AFC Championship Games: Brady 3, Mahomes 5.
AFC Championships: Brady 3, Mahomes 3.
NFL MVP Awards: Brady 0, Mahomes 2.
All-Pro Teams: Brady 1, Mahomes 3.
Regular-Season Record: Brady 58-20, Mahomes 64-16.
Passing Yards: Brady 18,035, Mahomes 24,241.
TD Passes: Brady 123, Mahomes 192.
Completion Percentage: Brady 61.9, Mahomes 66.3.
Interceptions: Brady 66, Mahomes 49.
Granted, Mahomes plays in a much more pass-oriented league and operates under creative Andy Reid rather than conservative Bill Belichick. And he needs to keep up his pace for another two decades to flirt with Brady.
But after last Sunday capped his fast start, he's at least in the conversation.
“I’m trying to catch Tom,” Mahomes said before Super Bowl LVII. “But Tom’s a long ways away. You can ask me when I’m like 38 years old.”
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