If Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs to their second consecutive Super Bowl title, a former Pro Bowler believes that will catapult him past Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees on the list of greatest quarterbacks in the history of the sport.
Former safety Ryan Clark, now with ESPN, made the bold statement Wednesday morning:
"If Patrick Mahomes wins this Super Bowl...with some of the things that we've detailed about this game...some of the things that are going against him right now...Patrick Mahomes is in the greatest of all-time [conversation]," Clark said on Get Up. "It's gonna be Tom Brady...and then there's gonna be some people next on the list...guys like Joe Montana and John Elway that's going to be included in that...and Patrick Mahomes should be there. And I know people who love [Drew] Brees and who love Aaron Rodgers are gonna say 'But they played longer...they did more.' But they are not as great as Patrick Mahomes. If Patrick Mahomes wins this Super Bowl, has the Lombardi Trophy in his hands...and on the microphone goes 'You know what? This is it, I'm walking out'...if he drops the mic...if he sexual chocolates off the stage...guess what? Patrick Mahomes is going to the Hall of Fame. That's how impressive this three-year run has been. That's how much he's accomplished...that's how dominant the Kansas City Chiefs have been with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback."
While defeating a Brady-led team in the Super Bowl - especially with a depleted offensive line - is hardly guaranteed, the Chiefs are currently three-point favorites. There is a discussion to be had about how much team championships should factor into these type of debates, but if Mahomes wins two titles in his first three years of starting, it would put him on the path to eventually challenge Brady, especially given that he's been other-worldly during the regular season as well.
Whether a second title would immediately push Mahomes past Rodgers and Brees is less clear. Brees is the only quarterback in NFL history with over 80,000 passing yards. Rodgers is going to win his third NFL MVP this year, and is arguably the most physically-gifted quarterback that we've ever seen. It would be one thing to say that neither had a three-year stretch like this when you factor in team success, but neither were drafted into a situation where they had a Hall of Fame head coach, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. It may be a bit premature, regardless of this weekend's outcome, to already put Mahomes above Rodgers and Brees. But is he on that path? Probably.
Ultimately, though, Sunday's game, right or wrong, will likely have a long-lasting impact on the GOAT debate. If Brady wins, it would give him seven Super Bowl titles, more than any franchise in NFL history. That would make it that much more difficult for Mahomes - or anyone - to ever match him from a team success standpoint, let alone top him. However, if Mahomes wins, it would give him two titles before his 26th birthday, while also keeping Brady from adding another to the trophy case. Both may say such a reality isn't their primary concern, but you have to think it's probably crossed their minds once or twice.
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