Patrick Mahomes on Tom Brady comparisons after 2024 Super Bowl win: 'Not even close to halfway'
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has reached rarefied air with the Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 overtime win in Super Bowl 2024 vs. the 49ers.
Mahomes is now the second-youngest quarterback in NFL history to hoist the Lombardi Trophy three times, having led Kansas City to victories in Super Bowls 54, 57 and 58, all by the age of 29. Only future Pro Football Hall of Famer and Michigan football standout Tom Brady did it quicker, with victories in Super Bowls 36, 38 and 39 by the age of 27.
REQUIRED READING: Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady: Comparing QBs' Super Bowl wins, NFL MVPs, stats and more
Naturally, Mahomes and the Chiefs' current dominance, coupled with the QB's similar career trajectory to Brady's, has led to comparisons between himself and the seven-time Super Bowl winner. Mahomes was asked about those comparisons following the Chiefs' win vs. the 49ers on Sunday: For now, at least, the three-time Super Bowl MVP believes Brady still has the advantage over him — and a sizeable one at that.
"Yeah I hear it (the comparsions)," Mahomes told CBS in postgame. "To me, it’s always going to be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl. I mean, I’m not even close to halfway, so I haven’t put a lot of thought into it."
Indeed, any debates on whether Mahomes or Brady is the greatest will have to include their lone head-to-head matchup in the Super Bowl. Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers won handily vs. Mahomes and the Chiefs, winning Super Bowl 55 with a dominant 31-9 score (and holding Kansas City's normally potent offense without a touchdown). It was Brady's seventh and final Super Bowl victory, one that ultimately stopped Mahomes from starting 4-0 in the big game.
REQUIRED READING: Mitch Albom: Patrick Mahomes in rarefied air with 3rd Super Bowl victory in OT thriller
Similarly, Brady still has a notable lead in terms of Super Bowls won: Mahomes needs five more apperances, four more wins and two more Super Bowl MVPs just to match the NFL legend's career numbers.
And while it's true Mahomes holds a 3-3 all-time record vs. Brady — 1-2 against him while he was on the Patriots and 2-1 with the Buccaneers — the latter won more when it mattered more. Brady boasts a 2-0 all-time playoff record vs. Mahomes, leading the Patriots to a 37-31 win vs. the Chiefs in the 2019 AFC championship game and the 31-9 Super Bowl 55 victory.
It is hard to argue that Mahomes and the Chiefs are unequivocally the best in the NFL right now. But, as the quarterback himself admitted, the argument over who holds the edge all time still belongs with Brady.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Patrick Mahomes 'not even halfway' to Tom Brady after Super Bowl win
