Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on the verge of doing something unprecedented in NFL history: winning three consecutive Super Bowls.
While Mahomes himself isn’t too concerned with the “Greatest of All Time” conversation just yet, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes a victory in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles would cement his place at the top of the football world.
Of course, the current “GOAT” is widely considered to be the legendary Tom Brady…
Speaking on First Take, Smith was emphatic in his stance that if Mahomes delivers another championship on Sunday, the GOAT debate is over.
“I’m sorry,” Smith said. “I don’t see how you can put anybody ahead of Patrick Mahomes.
“If Patrick Mahomes goes out there. Balls out. And the Kansas City Chiefs win a third consecutive Super Bowl…”
One of the biggest counterarguments to crowning Mahomes as the GOAT is his youth – he’s only 29 and has played just seven seasons as a starter.
Smith, however, shut that down, pointing out that even Brady endured a decade-long championship drought.
“Patrick Mahomes can’t help that he hasn’t been in the league 20 years yet,” Smith said. “You keep talking about the sustained excellence of Tom Brady. And I’m certainly not here to take away from my brother. But he went 10 years without a Super Bowl title, from 2004 to 2014.
“He lost two Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011 to the New York Giants. One of the times (the Patriots) were undefeated during the regular season. That’s on the resume, too.”
Mahomes has rewritten the record books since entering the league. But much like Brady, his rise wasn’t always obvious.
The Chiefs selected him 10th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, but several teams had the chance to grab him first.
Let’s take a look back at the top 10 from that 2017 draft, shall we???
1. Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2. Chicago Bears – Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
3. San Francisco 49ers – Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
5. Tennessee Titans – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
6. New York Jets – Jamal Adams, S, LSU
7. Los Angeles Chargers – Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
8. Carolina Panthers – Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
9. Cincinnati Bengals – John Ross, WR, Washington
10. Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Ouch.
Mahomes’ reign over the NFL has been nearly unprecedented.
“Seven years as a starter. He’s never lost a division title,” Smith continued. “He’s going to the AFC Championship game every single year. This will be his fifth Super Bowl. In the four Super Bowls he’s been to, he’s won three of them.
“You got 17 postseason wins in seven years, second all time. He surpassed Joe Montana, bro. Then you look at him. Three Super Bowl MVPs. Two regular season MVPs.”
And now, with a chance to pull off a historic three-peat, Mahomes has the opportunity to do something that’s never been done before in NFL history.
“When you look at what he has accomplished in the first seven years of his career, this man ends up doing something … that has never been achieved in the history of the National Football League – which means three-peating as a champion. Like (Michael) Jordan,” Smith concluded.
What are your thoughts on the whole GOAT debate?
(On a side note, don’t you hate when people talk about GOAT’s in plural? … Like, the whole point about being the GOAT is that you’re the “greatest of all time.” Meaning there can only be one!)
Anyways, if Mahomes wins on Sunday, will he officially pass Brady as the GOAT???
