Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still licking their wounds following a beatdown in Super Bowl 59 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 40-22 final score is deceiving, as the Chiefs were down by as many as 34 points before the Eagles eased up and cruised to victory.
The loss certainly hurts Mahomes’ case in “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) conversations, but it doesn’t disqualify him. At 29, the quarterback has already appeared in five Super Bowls, winning three.
Drew Brees, one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks in his own right, gave his thoughts on the growing debate.
Drew Brees Offers Honest Thoughts on Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes Debate
Before the Super Bowl, which was held in New Orleans this year, Sports Illustrated asked Brees about his thoughts on the GOAT debate between Brady and Mahomes.
“It’s early. It’s early from the perspective that, even though he’s done stuff that’s unprecedented, there’s a longevity component that goes with that, right?” Brees said regarding Mahomes’ age and achievements.
“Like, what Tom Brady did was unprecedented. He played 23 seasons, had 10 Super Bowl appearances, and won seven. Look, Patrick Mahomes will go down as one of the greatest of all time, but there’s a longevity component that needs to go with all those accomplishments as well.”
Brees knows Brady well, as the two clashed eight times throughout their revered careers, and Brees actually got the better of Brady in five of those matchups.
Of course, Brady showed up when it mattered most, beating Brees and the Saints in their only postseason battle in the 2021 NFC Divisional Round. That victory was one of four that postseason as the “Golden Boy” piloted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Now, Mahomes can add a second Super Bowl defeat to his ledger, though it shouldn’t immediately disqualify him from any future debates. Recency bias is a powerful thing in sports media, but Mahomes has still accomplished the following before turning 30:
- Five Super Bowl appearances
- Three Super Bowl wins
- Three Super Bowl MVP awards
- Seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances
- Two regular season MVP awards
- Six Pro Bowl selections
- Two First-Team All-Pro selections
As long as he stays healthy, the Chiefs’ signal caller should have at least another 10 years to continue adding to that impressive list of accolades. Lest anyone conveniently forget, Brady won four Super Bowls (and appeared in three others) after turning 30.
As Brees eloquently explained, longevity matters in regard to a player’s legacy, especially for quarterbacks. Brees retired after that postseason loss to Brady and the Buccaneers following his age-41 season; Brady retired after his age-45 season.
It’s still (somehow) early in Mahomes’ NFL career. There’s plenty of time for the superstar quarterback to prove that he belongs in the same GOAT conversation as Brady.