Since he became a full-time starter, Patrick Mahomes has rarely, if ever, been the focus of any doubt. The nearly impeccable resume has seen him start his career at a historical pace.
But coming off the first major injury of his career, the whispers are starting to get loud. However, for Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, he remains the gold standard of quarterback play in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes Still Sits on the Throne, Says Michael Irvin
Over the last few seasons, the raw numbers from Mahomes have taken a noticeable dip. Consistently in the top 3 of PFN’s Quarterback Impact Metrics from 2018 to 2022, he has finished as a fringe-top-10 player over the last three years.
That drop-off hasn’t hampered the Kansas City Chiefs as a whole. After winning Super Bowl 58 against the San Francisco 49ers, they made it back to the big game for the third consecutive year before getting blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Last year, the team completely fell apart, with Mahomes’s torn ACL limiting them to just six wins. As a result, there are a ton of question marks about where the two-time MVP stands. However, during a live stream with NEON, Irvin made it clear that he still believes in Mahomes.
“Josh Allen has more physical skill sets. Patrick Mahomes is a better quarterback. Just the reality. You know why? Cuz he is one of them guys that’s just enough to win. He’s Tom Brady with legs. That’s what Patrick Mahomes is. He’s what Tom Brady wishes to be.”
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Acknowledging that the statement might feel bizarre about a seven-time Super Bowl champion and the player most people recognize as the GOAT, Irvin still believes Mahomes is a tier above everyone else.
NEON couldn’t believe that Michael Irvin thinks that Patrick Mahomes is BETTER than Tom Brady while talking about he NFL 👀
Patrick Mahomes – “he’s what Brady wishes to be”
Josh Allen – “physical QB”
Lamar Jackson – “wants to run” pic.twitter.com/LDayoVbayM— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) September 4, 2026
“Tom Brady cannot run. Patrick Mahomes can run. What makes Tom Brady is that he played pre-snap football. Since he knows he can’t run, he comes up to the line of scrimmage. Pre-snap football is when I snap the ball, I already know where I’m going with the ball.”
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For Irvin, the difference becomes that Mahomes, on top of being able to go pre-snap, can also make something out of nothing post-snap if the play falls apart. “Most quarterbacks that can run don’t know how to play pre-snap because they never needed it.”
It remains to be seen if Mahomes can maintain the same level of production and success after his injury. All signs point to him being healthy to take the field in Week 1. But the Chiefs, aside from adding Kenneth Walker III, haven’t made a ton of moves to improve the offense.
As a result, it will be interesting to see if the Mahomes magic that has catapulted them into a different tier can still work wonders.
