By Kennedy Kearns Year 12,
Tom Brady is said to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in American Football, but will Mahomes replace his title? Tom Brady was a 6th-round pick in 2000’s NFL Draft. Brady was then drafted by coach Belichick, where he played for the Patriots. Brady played 20 seasons for the Patriots, leading them to 17 division titles, 13 AFC Championships, 9 Super Bowl appearances, and 6 Super Bowl titles, 2 of which were back-to-back. Brady then transferred to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning the Super Bowl in his first season with them, and then retiring in early 2023. Brady holds countless records in the NFL including: the only player to beat all 32 NFL teams, most division titles, most passing yards, most Super Bowl appearances, Super Bowls won, Super Bowl MVPs, Pro-Bowl Appearances, most passing yards in a game, and so many more. Brady played a total of 23 seasons, 20 for the Patriots, and 3 for the Buccaneers. He is one of the best football players and deserving of the title as greatest quarterback of all time. However, it seems that Mahomes is on track to be as good, or even better than Brady.
Patrick Mahomes was picked 10th in the 2017 NFL Draft by coach Andy Reed, for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes, in his 7 seasons of play, has had 5 Super Bowl appearances, outrunning Brady by winning 3 back-to-back. The most recent Super Bowl was on February 11, 2024, when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers, in Vegas, winning in overtime, 25-22. Mahomes has been a game-changing quarterback averaging 296 passing yards per game, while Brady averaged 266 passing yards per game. Mahomes, coming from a baseball background, is outstanding with the arm angles and arm speed that he can throw at. Mahomes is also comparable to Brady because he makes the difference between a win and a loss.
For example, in Super Bowl LVIII, statistically and based on a regular season, the 49ers should have come on top. However, Patrick Mahomes’ approach to the game, his accuracy, mindset, and precision, allowed the Chiefs to end up on top. This is very comparable to Brady’s method of play, in the sense that he is a player that can make close plays. Brady ran a different game than Mahomes; his best attribute was his vision, and being able to see the whole field, as though it was a map, making great decisions on the field, and with great accuracy. They play with different methods but are still some of the best quarterbacks the game has ever seen.
Now, will Mahomes catch up to Brady? It is thought that in the next 10 years, Mahomes could break some of Brady’s records. But, that does not mean he will ever be able to beat or compete with the persona that Tom Brady had. Furthermore, when the two quarterbacks faced off in Super Bowl LV, the Buccaneers swept the Chiefs, winning 31-9. It is also important to note the competition and quality of the teams that are present today, for example, during Brady’s prime he was facing one of the other best quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning. While today, there are quarterbacks like Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, who can challenge Mahomes, the rivalries are just not as strong. All in all, Mahomes is in line to be placed with the greats such as Manning, Brady, Joe Montana and others, but whether he will be able to surpass Brady is yet to be determined.
