There have been many legendary quarterbacks throughout NFL history.
We can discuss Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, Bart Starr – the list goes on and on and on.
Having said that, 97% of people consider Tom Brady to be the undisputed GOAT when it comes to the position (and the entire sport for that matter).
However, many feel that Kansas City Chiefs phenom Patrick Mahomes has a very realistic chance to one day top Brady and make himself the king of the NFL mountain.
At only 28-years-old, Mahomes already has three Super Bowl rings on his fingers. (Well, not literally since no one actually wears them more than two days out of the year – tops).
You can make the strong argument that Mahomes hasn’t even entered his prime yet.
In other words, Kansas City will be going after a historic three-peat this season and Mahomes will only be getting better and better and better.
Speaking of the three-peat, it’s something that’s never been done before in NFL history.
When you consider the extreme competitive balance that exists on a yearly basis in the league, imagine if Mahomes and the Chiefs were to actually pull it off???
The insane degree of difficulty in achieving such a feat is precisely why Super Bowl champion Chris Canty made the proclamation that if Mahomes were to do it, he would instantly leap Brady in the GOAT debate.
“He would be the top,” Canty said on ESPN Radio. “You three-peat in the NFL? Yeah, you’re the GOAT. You’re the GOAT.”
“I mean, if he wins three championships in a row in the NFL, in a league that is designed more so than any of these other sports leagues, to have parity – if he wins three in a row then he’s the damn GOAT,” Canty confidently added.
Canty spent 11-seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.
He was a valuable part of the Giants team that beat Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. (No, not the David Tyree year, the Ahmad Bradshaw “accidently” falling into the endzone year.)
Canty went on to name five current sports figures who he believes most need a championship ring.
The top three on his list were San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Getting back to the GOAT debate…
No matter what Mahomes ends up accomplishing the rest of his career, Brady-backers will always point to the fact that Tom had spectacular success over Patrick while their careers overlapped.
Not only did Brady and the Patriots beat Mahomes AT frigid Arrowhead Stadium in the 2019 AFC Championship Game, Brady of course would also go on to beat Mahomes in Super Bowl LV while a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The bottom line is if Mahomes keeps up his current pace of success, the GOAT debate will surely be a massive topic of conversation for decades and decades to come.
It will be absolutely fascinating to see if Mahomes ends up eclipsing Brady’s record seven Super Bowl titles.
Considering his age and the fact that the NFL protects quarterbacks at an unprecedented level, Mahomes will certainly have a shot.
What are your thoughts on Canty’s comments?
Do you agree that if Mahomes wins the Super Bowl again this season, he will automatically pass Brady in the GOAT debate?
Or do you think Brady has a much wider lead than what Canty and others believe?
When it’s all said and done, how many Lombardi’s will Mahomes end up with?
Will he actually pass Brady???