Patrick Mahomes has been an NFL starter for five years and he’s already building out his Hall of Fame case. With individual accolades, flashy no-look passes and ample team success, the Chiefs QB has already passed what many accomplish in an entire career.
He’s got a ways to go before challenging Tom Brady for the GOAT title, but maybe he’s not that far off from the tier below? Here’s what a Super Bowl 57 win would do for Mahomes’ rankings among the best quarterbacks of all time:
What Will Another Ring Do For Mahomes’ Resume?
Sure, maybe wins and rings aren’t the best way to measure an NFL QB. But, adding another Super Bowl victory to Mahomes’ young career would give him an impressive resume. Assuming he rightfully wins the NFL MVP this year, and adding in a 2023 ring, his career totals through five years as a starter would be:
Even if he ‘just’ plays eight more seasons, until he’s 35 (most great QBs play a few years longer), at his current pace he’ll finish with:
If Mahomes has the longevity of a Brady, Brees or Favre, he’ll be pushing the top three on most of those total stats.
Where Will Mahomes Rank On All-Time QB List?
This does assume the Kansas City slinger won’t just catastrophically fall off next year and not add any more accolades, wins or rings for the rest of his NFL life. His next five or 10 seasons don’t have to be the best of his career, but if Mahomes wins Super Bowl 57 and then sticks around as a solid QB in the NFL for the next while, here’s where he’ll rank among the NFL’s best. If the rest of his career continues on this current historic pace, he can finish even higher.
All-Time QB List Tier 1:
1. Tom Brady (7 SB Wins, 3 MVPs, 89,214 Yards, 649 Touchdowns)*
2. Joe Montana (4 SB Wins, 2 MVPs, 40,551 Yards, 273 Touchdowns)
These two are untouchable. Brady and Montana have won a combined 20 percent of all the Super Bowls, have at least two MVPs each, have been to 23 combined Pro Bowls, and own many passing records atop the NFL books. Maybe some day Mahomes pushes for the No. 2 spot on this list with a few more MVPs and rings, but not yet. Coming for No. 1 would take quite a career.
Tier 2:
3. Peyton Manning (2 SB Wins, 5 MVPs, 71,940 Yards, 539 Touchdowns)
4. Brett Favre (1 SB Win, 3 MVPs, 71,838 Yards, 508 Touchdowns)
Now this is a tier Mahomes could certainly get to in a decade. But as things currently sit, these longtime NFL passers have a clear edge over Mahomes.
Manning, The Sheriff, has a list of awards and NFL accomplishments few will ever get close to. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Manning won two titles, five MVPs, went to 14 Pro Bowls and was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year winner. Despite battling injuries in the back half of his career, he played long enough to sit third in all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Favre sits just a touch behind Manning in many respects, with a few less career yards and scores, two fewer MVPs and three fewer Pro Bowls. It’s still an all-time career, but not quite top three.
Tier 3:
This is where things get interesting. It’s hard to parse through decades of NFL QBs, comparing passing stats in different eras (that’s why Johnny Unitas isn’t higher on this list). But, if Mahomes can lock up his second ring (and likely second Super Bowl MVP with it) this year, he’ll solidify himself in this next cut of all-time NFL passers and a clear top 10 to ever throw the football.
His two title victories would push him ahead of Rodgers, Elway and Brees and he’s well on his way to passing this tier in total MVPs and Pro Bowl appearances, too. The one reason Mahomes still slots in behind Brees is longevity and total passing numbers.
Unlike the guys below Mahomes, Brees is right there with the best all-time in total passing yards and touchdowns. While Brees won just one ring and never earned league MVP, he earned his spot high on this list with 80,000-plus career passing yards and led the league in passing yards or touchdowns 11 times during his 20-year career. However, it won’t take 80,000 yards for Mahomes to earn his way past Brees if he keeps winning rings and MVPs.
5. Drew Brees (1 SB Win, 0 MVPs, 80,358 Yards, 571 Touchdowns)
6. Patrick Mahomes
7. John Elway (2 SB Wins, 1 MVP, 51,475 Yards, 300 Touchdowns)
8. Dan Marino (0 SB Wins, 1 MVP, 61,361 Yards, 420 Touchdowns)
9. Aaron Rodgers (1 SB Win, 4 MVPs, 59,055 Yards, 475 Touchdowns)*
10. Steve Young (3 SB Wins, 2 MVPs, 33,124 Yards, 232 Touchdowns)
Honorable Mention: Johnny Unitas
*and counting