Ex-Patriots Greats Pick Patrick Mahomes Over Tom Brady In Legacy Debate

The Patrick Mahomes-Tom Brady debate as the greatest of all time has heated up following the Kansas City Chiefs winning their third Super Bowl in five years.

Two Patriots greats who won multiple titles with Brady are picking Mahomes over their former quarterback in different aspects of the legacy debate.

"If we're talking the first six seasons, I believe there is a difference," former Patriots defensive lineman Tedy Bruschi said, as seen on ESPN's Super Bowl coverage. "We're talking the first six because Patrick came in, and in his first year as a starter, I believe he wins the MVP, and all of a sudden, the whole team is on his back immediately."

Bruschi added: "I was there for the first six years of Tom Brady when he started out as a scout team quarterback, and we thought this guy was an afterthought because Drew Bledsoe was the starter."

The three-time Super Bowl champion went on to describe how Brady needed the defense and running backs around him in order to find success when he was in games.

"In (2001), Tom Brady was only responsible for one touchdown with his arm," Bruschi said. "In that entire playoffs we had multiple special teams touchdowns, we had defensive touchdowns in the Super Bowl. That's how we won, really as a team. Tom Brady was a complimentary piece that's the big difference from Patrick Mahomes in these first six years.

"... From the jump, Patrick Mahomes came in, and he's been the man, and that's the difference. … In the first six seasons, Patrick Mahomes is playing better quarterback than Tom Brady."

Rodney Harrison is quite ready to anoint Mahomes as the GOAT just yet but has no doubt that he will pass Brady in the conversation.

"What I really love about Patrick Mahomes is his humility," Harrison told NBC's McKenzie Nelson. "No matter what milestone he reaches, he's always trying to do it for the team. It's not about individual accomplishments. Before it's all said and done, and I played with Brady, (Mahomes) is going to be the greatest to ever do it. He will be."

At the end of the day, there are only two quarterbacks in the discussion -- Brady and Mahomes. Unless someone else comes along, they will stand at the top by themselves.