The sports world just had caught its collective breath after spending years on the Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers debate, which was as contrived as it was uninteresting.
But that hard-earned break was short-lived. Now, whether we like it or not, we’re all being dragged into the Tom Brady-Patrick Mahomes debate, which could last a long time.
However, many believe it’s already over. After watching the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers for their third Super Bowl title in five years, many are ready to label Mahome the greatest quarterback in NFL history. And some don’t even think it’s close.
We have actual, respected NFL journalists saying they “don’t know how” you still could make a case for Brady.
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We have former NFL players being prisoners of the moment while diluting themselves into thinking they’re not.
We have credentialed Super Bowl LVIII bloggers writing knee-jerk reaction columns containing no actual arguments.
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And, of course, we have morning sports talk shows providing wall-to-wall coverage of the Brady-Mahomes debate.
It’s all a bit much. And the prospect of Skip Bayless and Nick Wright beating this topic into the ground over the next 10 years is a foreboding thought for those of us cursed with unyielding sports obsessions.
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But is it fair? Does Mahomes really deserve to be in the same sentence as Brady, who until five seconds ago was the consensus greatest player ever?
With any of these debates, there’s no right or wrong answer. And multiple things can be true at the same time.
Here are three:
Mahomes is off to a better start
There’s nuance to this, though. Brady and Mahomes began their respective careers in completely different eras. Quarterbacking now is far easier than it was in the early 2000s when NFL rules still gave defenders a fighting chance.
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In 2001, Brady’s first season as a starter, two quarterbacks eclipsed 4,000 passing yards; 10 hit the mark in 2023. And that’s not just because of the 17th regular season game, as 12 QBs hit 4,000 yards in 2020 when there still were just 16 games.
So, it’s kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison. But it doesn’t matter, because the fact is Mahomes was the clear best QB in football over his first six seasons as a starter, whereas Brady didn’t reach that status until his seventh campaign as a starter.
(For clarity: We’re looking at Mahomes from 2017 through 2023, and Brady from 2000 through 2007.)
Mahomes has the edge in virtually every statistical category, as well as personal accolades. He racked up six Pro Bowl nods compared to Brady’s four; two MVPs compared to Brady’s one; three Super Bowl MVPs to Brady’s two; and two first-team All-Pro selections compared to Brady’s one. And some of those numbers only are close because of what Brady and the New England Patriots did in 2007.
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Mahomes arguably was the best player on the planet, and early on won despite Kansas City’s iffy defense. Brady mostly was a high-level game manager on an incredibly well-rounded and well-coached team.
As for team accomplishments, they’re close. The Chiefs made it to the AFC Championship Game in each of Mahomes’ first six seasons as the starter, whereas the Patriots did so in five of Brady’s first seven years as the starter. Kansas City and New England both made it to four Super Bowls while winning three, and both won back-to-back titles. The Patriots also deserve extra points for compiling an undefeated regular season.
So, we still can argue whether the early 2000s Patriots or 2018-2023 Chiefs are the better NFL dynasty. But there’s no denying that Mahomes is off to a better all-around start than what we saw from Brady.
Brady still is the greatest of all time
Don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking this is a conversation. It’s not. And don’t let anyone invoke the eye test, as football is way too intricate and complicated to be reduced to video game-inspired takes about which player looked better.
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Mahomes’ ability to make no-look passes is no more nor less impressive than Brady’s ability to make the perfect read on a key third down. They’re different players with different tools in their toolboxes.
The simple truth is it’s far too early to put Mahomes on Brady’s level. You don’t even need to scroll on Mahomes’ stat sheet; Brady’s almost warrants a second page. Brady is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s Team and All-2010s Team.
To that end, here’s the achievements section of Mahomes’ Pro-Football-Reference page:
And here’s Brady’s:
There are some obvious feathers in Brady’s cap. He has 10 Super Bowl appearances and seven titles. He made it to 14 conference championship games, including eight in a row. He’s the NFL’s all-time leader in QB wins, passing yards, touchdowns and completions.
But there’s so much more to Brady’s greatness and why he has the clear edge over Mahomes.
— Overcame an ACL tear in the prime of his career.
— Only played with elite weapons for roughly half of his career.
— Went to a different franchise and won a Super Bowl in his first season.
— Posted a career-best 5,316 yards when he was 44 years old.
— Led the NFL in completions at 45 years old.
— Started 33 more games than any other QB yet ranks 22nd in interceptions.
— Led NFL in interception percentage four times (Mahomes once).
— Authored the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.
— Won a Super Bowl against an all-time defense (Seattle Seahawks).
We could go on and on. Like how Brady dealt with immense hate and scrutiny throughout his career, whereas there might be, like, one Mahomes hater on the planet. And that thing where it feels inevitable that Mahomes and the Chiefs will find a way to rip your heart out? Brady and the Patriots did that for two decades.
If Mahomes keeps it up, he just might match or surpass Brady. But it feels like the people already crowning the 28-year-old Mahomes are assuming he’ll match Brady’s accolades because time is on his side. They’re forgoing all patience in favor of making sure they tweet something.
But, for now, it’s still Brady — by a long shot.
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None of this matters
At the risk of seeming too nihilistic and angering Walter Sobchak: We’re all gonna die someday.
There doesn’t always need to be a take. There doesn’t always need to be a tweet. There doesn’t always need to be a grand proclamation after a championship game.
Believe it or not, there was a time when sports debates were more insightful than hyperbolic. Someone would tell you Derek Jeter is the best shortstop in baseball, and you’d respectfully lay out the irrefutable evidence for why Nomar Garciaparra is better. We all just enjoyed the games and moved on with our lives.
Then shows like “First Take” came around and now everything is like professional wrestling. And our increasingly polarized society won’t rest until we’re arguing about everything.
But the reality is some debates hold no path toward agreement. And that’s especially true in sports.
Your uncle always is going to believe Larry Bird was better than LeBron James. Millions of people probably believe Bryce Harper is better than Ted Williams. Someone out there thinks Bobby Orr would be a third-pairing plug in today’s NHL.
It’s all noise. Similarly, the Brady-Mahomes debate is an annoying racket that doesn’t matter. Just ignore it.
Chiefs fans should enjoy the time they have with a generational talent, and cherish the memories his career produces. And Patriots fans should appreciate bearing witness to Brady’s excellence and not live in constant fear of Mahomes one day becoming the unquestioned G.O.A.T. Really, both sides should just welcome the common ground and feel happy for the other.
If only the rest of the world would let them.
Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
