ESPN’s greatest of all time on-air talent has done it again with an outlandish claim that will doubtless spark widespread debate.
No quarterback has ever had quite as ironclad a claim for the top spot as Brady does. While Montana matched Bradshaw’s iconic mark of four Super Bowl wins, Brady picked up seven. He demolished every regular season and playoff career record, with more than twice as many postseason wins as any other passer.
However, one major sports media voice thinks that Brady’s grip on that distinction is slipping, or at least it will be if the Kansas City Chiefs can win their next two games. Check out what ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, arguably the GOAT in his own field, has to say about the new-age quarterback debate of Brady vs. Chiefs legend Patrick Mahomes.
It’s factually correct that Brady never won three straight Super Bowls- no quarterback or team has- but he did win three in four years, and then later, three in five, and he came just a play away from executing a three-peat on multiple occasions. Even so, almost doesn’t count in football, and Mahomes would certainly deserve commendation for the remarkable feat of three consecutive titles, but one specific accolade should not be enough to turn a very multifaceted debate entirely on its head.
Right now, Brady has won more MVP awards than Mahomes, and is atop every single list of counting stats for quarterbacks- except interceptions. Of course, it’s not fair to hold all of this against Mahomes, who has played nowhere near as many years in the NFL as has Brady, but it’s a good reminder that it’s not time to crown him just yet. It’s also a nod to Brady’s remarkable longevity- he won an MVP and two championships after turning 40, a feat it’s hard to imagine Mahomes matching given his physical style of play compared to Brady’s methodical one.
During that post-40 window, Brady did something that should specifically hold weight in this debate- he went 2-0 in the playoffs against Mahomes, without the benefit of home field advantage in either game. This accomplishment is made all the more impressive by the fact that Mahomes is 16-1 in the postseason against all other passers, further underscoring how special Brady must have been.
Overall, the notion that Mahomes is already in position to pass Brady is a product of a pitfall we see commonly in discourse around sports- falling victim to being a prisoner of the moment and thus overly sensationalizing accomplishments that are remarkable in their own right. Mahomes already belongs in the pantheon of NFL quarterbacks, and if he wins two more games this year, his position among that group will only be bolstered, but it’s irresponsibly premature to put him in the stratosphere of deserving a look at the top spot.
This article originates on 247Sports.
Patrick, Brittany Mahomes welcome 3rd child
Now that’s how you handle a bye week.
Over the Chief’s first-round bye week, Mahomes and his wife Brittany have welcomed their third child.
The news of the newest addition to the Mahomes household comes via the pair’s Instagram post from over the weekend, which announced the arrival of their daughter, Golden Raye Mahomes.
Best use of a bye week: Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have welcomed their third child — Golden Raye. pic.twitter.com/zwsdLRonZ7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2025
It was revealed back in July that the couple was expecting a third child for the bunch. Brittany Mahomes revealed that this pregnancy has been the hardest as she has been constantly sick, exhausted, and has skin irritation.
All of that could explain why she has not been in the public eye as much at Chiefs games this season.
Patrick and Brittany already have their three-year-old daughter, Sterling, and two-year-old son, Bronze, running around their house on Sundays, cheering for their daddy.
Newborn Golden is going to get to know very quickly what dad does for a living. After a week off, Mahomes will be back on the field as the Chiefs will host the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
If “Dad Strength” is a real thing, then prepare to see it in the two-time NFL League MVP this weekend as he steps back out on the field as a now father of three.
Congratulations to the Mahomes family on their newest addition.