SUMMARY
- Patrick Mahomes, a 2017 NFL Draft pick, completed seven seasons in the league in 2024.
- Mahomes has faired way better than Brady when comparing their first seven seasons in the NFL
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady cemented his legacy as the best NFL QB in history with some astonishing records. Many believed that we might not see someone like Brady for generations. However, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is laying his claim in the debate. With another Super Bowl MVP performance in the bag, Mahomes is clear of Brady when it comes to comparing their first seven seasons’ performances.
Mahomes was picked by the Chiefs during the 2017 NFL Draft and he just completed his seventh season. On the other hand, Brady was picked in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by New England Patriots. Both Brady and Mahomes did not change teams during their first seven seasons.
Mahomes vs Brady in their first 7 seasons 👀
(via: @FF_TravisM) pic.twitter.com/bub3JPa5Au
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 12, 2024
Starting off with awards and honors, Brady (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) and Mahomes (LIV, LVII, LVIII) won three Super Bowls. Brady had three Pro Bowls in the bag compared to Mahomes’ six. The Chiefs QB trumped Brady in MVP awards as well because Mahomes won the Super Bowl MVP in all three of his wins. Meanwhile, Brady won two MVP awards in his three Super Bowl wins. Super Bowl XXXIX MVP was won by wide receiver Deion Branch.
Coming to individual stats, both players played 96 games. Mahomes leads the way in Pass Yds (28424 – 21564), Pass Y/A (7.9 – 7), Pass Y/G (296.1 – 224.6), and Pass Touch Down (219 – 147). Mahomes has been intercepted less (63 to Brady’s 78). The Chiefs QB also leads the way when it comes to Rush Attack (374 – 239), Rush Yds (1936 – 435), Rush Y/A (5.2 – 1.8), and Rush Touch Down (12-3).
Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have met each other on the field six times
Brady and Mahomes have taken the field against each other 6 times between 2018 to 2022. Their first matchup was in 2018 when Brady was over 40 and Mahomes was still a new name. Brady and the New England Patriots trumped the Chiefs by a score of 43-40.
Their second face-off was a year later in 2019. Brady took a 2-0 lead over Mahomes as the Patriots defeated the Chiefs 37-31. In 2019, they met again and the Chiefs finally got the better of the Patriots 23-16. In 2020, Mahomes evened the score at 2-2. Brady, now playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, lost to the Chiefs by a narrow gap of 24-27.
Brady took the lead once again in 2021 as he won the Super Bowl LV, his 7th Super Bowl. He set the record for the quarterback with the most Super Bowl wins and he was also the oldest quarterback to have started and won a Super Bowl. That was Mahomes’ third Super Bowl appearance and first loss. Brady and Mahomes’ final face-off, ended in a win for the Chiefs 41-31. Mahomes and Brady tied their head-to-head score at 3-3.
How deep does Patrick Mahomes have to dig to reach the levels of Tom Brady’s career?
Although Mahomes has faired well in comparison to Brady’s first seven seasons, the former University of Michigan player has collected career accolades like none other. 7x Super Bowl winner, 5x Super Bowl MVP, 3x NFL MVP, and 15x Pro Bowl are just some of his achievements.
Brady has astonishing career records to his name such as most career quarterback wins (251), most career passing attempts (12,050) most career passing completions (7,753) Most career passing touchdowns (649), and most career passing yards (89,214). Most of these records stem from his longevity.
Mahomes’ target needs to be to continue at the same level he has been playing for in the past seven seasons for at least 10 or more seasons. Brady played for around 23 seasons. He was at the top of his game even after touching 40. To touch Brady’s overall legacy, Mahomes has some work cut out for himself. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that this is a team game. A lot depends on your teammates as well.
Mahomes believes Brady has an advantage over him due to Super Bowl 2021
After his match-winning performance at the Super Bowl LVIII, Mahomes was asked about comparisons with Brady. He said, “To me, it’s always going to be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl… That’s something he’ll always have on my head.”
Patrick Mahomes on the Tom Brady comparisons: “To me it will always be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl.” pic.twitter.com/KZMp96jqdH
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 12, 2024
Brady and the Buccanneers defeated Mahomes and the Chiefs 31-9 at Super Bowl LV. However, Mahomes also sees it as a motivation. “But it gives me something to strive for every single day, just chasing greatness,” Mahomes said. “Whenever I’m tired and I don’t want to work, I know that I have to do it in order to be in moments like this.”
The Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl LVIII 25-22. After the scoreline was 19-19 during the regulation time, Mahomes pulled off a late win for his team in OT.