Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is widely viewed as the best NFL player in 2024 and on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats at his position. While capturing Tom Brady as the best player in NFL history is a daunting task, some around the league do see similarities.
Mahomes is coming off a 2023 season that saw him lead the Chiefs to become repeat Super Bowl contenders, becoming the first quarterback since Brady to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in consecutive years. Only 28 years old and already having three Super Bowl rings, Mahomes’ resume challenges many all-time greats.
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- Patrick Mahomes stats 2023 (Pro Football Reference): 92.6 QB rating, 67.2% completion rate, 4,183 passing yards, 27-14 TD-INT, 7.0 yards per attempt in 16 games
However, the best players are often remembered for their reputation inside the league and how they perform in the biggest moments. In the eyes of one NFL coach, that’s one area where Brady and Mahomes are most similar.
In the latest NFL quarterback tiers from Mike Sando of The Athletic, one NFL defensive coordinator compared always picking Mahomes to win big games in the same way he would during Brady’s career.
“I know people who were taking Philly or San Francisco in the Super Bowl. Dude, they are playing Mahomes. You take Mahomes. He’s like Brady when Brady was in his prime. You can’t bet against that dude because he’s the best in the business.”
NFL defensive coordinator on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
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- Patrick Mahomes career stats (ESPN): 28,424 passing yards, 103.5 QB rating, 219-63 TD-INT, 66.5% completion rate, 7.9 yards per attempt, 6.1% TD rate, 1.8% INT rate
Mahomes’ track record certainly backs it up. Not only is he undefeated in his last 7 playoff games, but the Chiefs quarterback sports a career 15-3 record with a 105.8 QB rating in 18 playoff starts. Time and time again, whether he had a strong supporting cast or not, he’s consistently delivered in the biggest games.
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Brady still holds the head-to-head record advantage over Mahomes and for some, that will mean he is forever labeled as the best quarterback in NFL history. However, the defensive coordinator’s point remains the same as Mahomes as becomes the quarterback who shouldn’t be picked against in the biggest moments.
If the Chiefs are successful in pulling off the first three-peat in NFL history, giving Mahomes four Super Bowl rings before he even turns 30 years old, the Brady vs Mahomes debate will ramp up even more in 2025.
