NFL

The New Era: Reasons Why Patrick Mahomes Is Better Than Tom Brady

Darren Ryding - November 3, 2024

NFL

The New Era: Reasons Why Patrick Mahomes Is Better Than Tom Brady

Darren Ryding - November 3, 2024

Patrick Mahomes became a three-time Super Bowl champion and also a three-time Super Bowl MVP winner as the Chiefs beat the 49ers at last Sunday’s (Feb. 11, 2024) Super Bowl LVIII from Las Vegas. Due to the historic win, many fans and analysts believe that he is already the best quarterback of all time; even better than his main rival for the accolade, Tom Brady.

Brady enjoyed incredible longevity as he won a record seven Super Bowls across a glittering career. However, there are strong arguments to make that Mahomes is the more talented player as well as more important to his team. Check out our updated list of the reasons why Mahomes is better than Brady here.

4,000 Yards Guaranteed

One of the most insane aspects of Mahomes’ career is that he hasn’t had a season under 4,000 yards. He started his NFL career with a hotter streak than Brady, who consistently threw below 3,500 yards at the beginning of his career. Yes, the Patriots played more of a defense and running game but Mahomes’ numbers are simply ridiculous.

Patrick Mahomes Afc 2023 — Sports Illustrated

His 4,000-yard average also carries over into the postseason which shows his unbelievable consistency. Brady’s defenders will point to his brilliance across two decades. His longevity is the main argument against the Chiefs’ star but that doesn’t mean he was a better player (via ESPN). In terms of pure passing statistics, it’s not actually much of a battle between Mahomes and Brady.

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Super Bowl MVP

Brady indeed finished his career with a record of five Super Bowl MVP awards. That’s astounding because it shows his influence over his team. There’s no denying that he came up clutch for the Patriots except when they faced the Giants in the Super Bowl. However, Mahomes arguably has a better record than his older rival.

That’s because he has more Super Bowl MVP awards than Brady did at the same age. Mahomes won his third in 2024 as the Chiefs eked out a narrow win over the Niners in overtime. He threw for 333 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. But it was his rushing yardage in the clutch and game management that made him the key player on the field (via BeIn Sports).

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Tom Brady Football Patriots Deflate.jpg — TIME

No Cheating

It’s challenging to find reasons to hate Mahomes. Yes, it’s easy to complain about his family because his brother is annoying and his wife polarizes the masses. But Mahomes lives and breathes football. He never involves himself in any of the outside controversies and the only crime anyone hates him for is winning (via Vox).

However, that’s just not true with Brady as he cheated his way to glory on multiple occasions. Please think of the most notorious moments in modern NFL history because he had a hand in most of them. Brady was at the center of DeflateGate and the Tuck Rule Game. Meanwhile, there was also the infamous SpyGate that tarnished the Patriots for a generation.

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Brady Mahomes Usatsi 13770172 — NBC Sports

Key Cog

Many critics say that the 49ers’ Brock Purdy is a system quarterback in a brilliant offense. However, this isn’t such a negative because Brady was the ultimate version of this. Bill Belichick knew Brady was the perfect cog to keep his offensive engine running smoothly (via Bleacher Report).

Brady was excellent at this but the Patriots could win without him as we saw when Matt Cassell replaced him for a year. The system was more important than having the best quarterback in the game. However, Mahomes is undeniably the most talented quarterback in the NFL right now and the Chiefs can’t do much without him.

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Nfl: Los Angeles Chargers At Kansas City Chiefs — Reuters

More Arm Strength

Even Bill Belichick praised Mahomes’ arm strength and accuracy in 2018 after he broke through in his sophomore year. The Chiefs’ star continues to flourish and display his remarkable physical gifts. There’s no denying that he’s more of a perfect quarterback prototype than Brady.

Brady was never the league’s best natural athlete as his Draft photos show. However, he was a brilliant decision-maker and kept himself in the best condition possible. Nonetheless, Mahomes does this too and the better athlete always wins when everything else is the same (via Forbes).

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Skysports Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals 5673579 — Sky Sports

Stronger Divisions

Another key point is that Mahomes is playing in a tougher conference than Brady did with tougher divisions. The AFC is a minefield right now with almost all of the top quarterbacks in the league residing there. Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud all currently play in the AFC. Mahomes knocked out Jackson and Allen on his way to Super Bowl LVIII.

Lamar Jackson Aafd758224f44e5780dab1102d23e890 — People

Meanwhile, Mahomes clearly outshone the likes of Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson, and Derek Carr in his division at various points. Brady did have some great rivalries, such as his legendary battles with Peyton Manning. But due to his Patriots ruling over an AFC East that was basically devoid of top-tier talent at the time, he rarely played the best quarterbacks. He only faced Aaron Rodgers at five points in his career but did battle Manning on 16 occasions (via Sportskeeda).

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All-Pro King

Brady finished his career with more first-team All-Pro selections than Mahomes with three. However, this doesn’t tell the full story because Mahomes has earned his quickly. The Kansas City quarterback earned his first selection in 2018 after an incredible first season as a starter.

Former Packers Pro High Praise Mahomes — Yardbreaker

The two-time All-Pro star is on course to shatter Brady’s total because he’s on fire. Meanwhile, he also has more Pro Bowl selections than Brady did at the same time. Mahomes is a perennial pick while Brady missed out in 2002 and 2003 as well as several later seasons in his career (via NBC Sports).

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Top Prospect

One of the most noteworthy aspects of Brady’s career is that nobody rated him when he entered the NFL Draft. Bill Belichick famously made him the 199th overall pick after a solid college career. However, Andy Reid and Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach knew what they were doing when they traded up and selected Mahomes in the first round.

Mahomes won the Sammy Baugh Trophy for the best college passer in the nation. He put Texas Tech on the map as one of the country’s most exciting young quarterbacks. We’ve seen so many fail when they stepped up to the professional game. But Mahomes has lived up to the hype and more (via Texas Tech).

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201103202313 Patrick Mahomes 1101 File — CNN

Higher Ceiling

Mahomes did something in his first season as a starter that Brady didn’t do until he was 30. He threw for over 5,000 yards in one of the greatest individual years ever. Since then he’s become a better all-round player and is more efficient with his passing (via Sporting News).

Skysports Patrick Mahomes Buccaneers 5265365 — Sky Sports

That’s why he also has a higher quarterback rating than Brady did at the same time in his career. Brady had an average of 88.4 after seven years while Mahomes has a staggering 103.5. Meanwhile, he also has fewer interceptions than Brady did in the same period.

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Playoff Success

Let’s compare their playoff experiences because it’s fascinating to see. Brady threw 88 career postseason touchdowns compared to Mahomes’ 39. Remember, Mahomes has only played six seasons as a starter compared to Brady’s two decades. Furthermore, the Kansas City superstar has a far better QB rating at 106.3 compared to 89.8 (via Fox News).

He also has already exceeded all of Brady’s rushing yards statistics in the playoffs. New England fans will hate this but it’s almost impossible to deny that Mahomes is a better player. He might not have the rings yet but that doesn’t mean anything. Everyone acknowledges Dan Marino’s brilliance so let’s give Mahomes the credit he deserves.

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Michael Jordan 20200527083136253 — Sports Illustrated

Jordan vs. Russell

Bill Russell was the most successful NBA player in history as he won 11 rings with the Boston Celtics. He was a brilliant player but nobody will ever say that he was the greatest. Yes, he has the rings but his consistency over a long period was more important than his overall brilliance.

Bill Russell 1flqfbk63akq819ky5p3p42uzh — Sports Illustrated

That’s exactly the way that people will describe Brady in a few years. Right now, it’s easy to compare Mahomes to the likes of Michael Jordan or LeBron James. His raw talent carries teams to titles like Jordan did against the Utah Jazz or like James did with the Cavaliers (via Fox Sports).

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All About Football

One of the most admirable aspects of Mahomes’ career is that he devotes himself to football. His main indulgence outside of the sport is his sneaker collection. Sure, he has some supercars but he lives in a relatively modest house by NFL standards and is only the fifth-highest-paid player in the sport.

Cincinnati Bengals V Kansas City Chiefs — NBC Sports

Mahomes renegotiated his contract because he wanted the Chiefs to have the best chance to win while he was in his prime. Meanwhile, Brady quit his dream of playing for his childhood favorite 49ers because he couldn’t resist a tax-free adventure in Florida (via Fansided).

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Overcoming The Odds

There’s no denying that Brady overcame the odds to solidify himself as an NFL starter. Forget about being the most successful quarterback in history for a moment because he was the Brock Purdy of his day. However, Mahomes also has a history of upsetting the odds (via KCTV).

106834079 1612287747511 Gettyimages 1278687707 Js028088 2020100570226594 — CNBC

The 49ers entered Super Bowl LVIII as betting favorites despite the Chiefs’ experience in the title game. Mahomes ensured that this didn’t matter by being the best player in the game. Meanwhile, think about highly-rated prospects like Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell. Mahomes is a generational talent who is living up to and exceeding the hype.

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231114103057 Patrick Mahomes 102923 — CNN

AFC King

It’s possible to argue that Mahomes isn’t the greatest NFL player ever. Let’s show Brady and Joe Montana some respect for the moment. However, there’s no doubt that this contemporary icon is the best quarterback in AFC history. His record is beyond belief because he is dominating the conference (via AS).

Mahomes has made the AFC Championship Game six years in a row from his first year as a starter in 2018 to 2023. Yes, this means that he has never missed one title game when he was the Chiefs starter. This is astounding because the AFC is so strong with elite teams like the Bills, Ravens, and Bengals. However, Mahomes consistently blows them away every year because he’s better.

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Patrick Mahomes 021324 1f6074b3644a409abdf0c30a0324c594 — People

Super Bowl Appearances

All of Brady’s fans will point to his unique achievement of winning seven Super Bowl rings. This is an outstanding record but it doesn’t mean that he was a better player. Furthermore, we can look at the statistics another way. Mahomes has had a shorter career but he had more Super Bowl appearances than Brady after six seasons.

Patrick Mahomes Kids After Superbowl Win 021224 1 5c9bd9a95a72431b8916970512379e46 — People

He has a record of 3-1 in Super Bowl games with one defeat coming against Brady’s Buccaneers. This was also one of the worst games of Mahomes’ career. But he still has a higher winning average than Brady, who won seven out of his 10 appearances in the biggest game of them all (via NBC News).

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Kansas City Chiefs V Cleveland Browns — AP

Weaker Receivers

One of the biggest questions about Mahomes’ brilliance was how he would play without Tyreek Hill. The Kansas City star shut this down forever because he guided an average receiver corps to Super Bowl glory. Usually, people say that defenses win Super Bowls and quarterbacks can’t do it by themselves.

Antonio Brown And Tom Brady 5ffa66505c44f Scaled.jpg — Boston.com

However, Mahomes compensated for his average weapons by being a cheat code. This is something Brady arguably never did with the possible exception of 2019 in New Orleans. Even in Tampa he had the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown at his disposal (via The Athletic).

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Passing Machine

Brady has the most passing yards in NFL history, which is a remarkable achievement. It’s a testament to his consistent longevity across two decades. But Mahomes arguably has more impressive passing statistics than Brady. That’s because he’s breaking records across the board (via NBC Sports).

Super Bowl Football 92751 1880x1254 — WTOP

At the current rate, he’ll exceed Brady’s total by his 12th season. That may never happen because injuries can instantly end careers. Nonetheless, his productivity is stunning as he was the quickest player to 10,000 and 25,000 yards. He was also the fastest quarterback to throw 100 and 200 passing touchdowns.

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Patrick Brittany Mahomes 021324 48eb491e19c34cc9882fe9215c58a2bf — People

The College Sweetheart

Another reason why Mahomes is better than Brady is because he’s more of an everyman. He married his college sweetheart Brittany Matthews after a lengthy courtship and devoted himself to his family. Meanwhile, Brady chased the most famous Brazilian supermodel in the world then divorced her after a decade of marriage (via People).

Patrick Mahomes Brittany Mahomes Quarterback Premiere 071223 1 323fcd789dcf4a8981b2c476deddcdea — People

Many fans find it easier to relate to Mahomes than to Brady because he’s a more compassionate human being. Far from everyone appreciate Brittany but the reality is that they’re a young All-American couple in love. They love Kansas City and he does great things for the community there like Drew Brees did in New Orleans.

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Rushing Yards

Nobody will ever accuse Brady of being the fastest athlete in the NFL. He was brilliantly composed in the pocket and this allowed him to gain space for his passes. Meanwhile, Mahomes doesn’t have a reputation for being a rushing QB like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen.

New Orleans Saints V Tampa Bay Buccaneers — NPR

However, Mahomes rushed for a career-best 389 yards in 2023. He also broke the record for the most QB rushing yards in Super Bowl history against the Niners. Mahomes says that his running style lulls opponents into thinking he’s slower than he is (via Fox Sports).

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Rapid Success

The most astounding aspect of Mahomes’ rise is how quickly it happened. Yes, Brady had a dream first year as a starter but it’s important to remember that his success came through over two decades. Mahomes has undeniably put up better numbers than his fellow NFL legend’s early years (via ABC News).

It’s insane that he doesn’t know what it’s like to miss the AFC Championship Game. Meanwhile, in another life, he might have four Super Bowl rings already. One counterargument is that Mahomes never beat Brady when they played each other in the playoffs. The veteran will always hold this over the young upstart.

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Gettyimages 2004249630 E1707714944415.jpg — Sportico

The Clear Best

Forget about the statistics for a moment; let’s talk about the narrative. The reality is that everybody says that Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL in 2024. There are other brilliant talents like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen but Mahomes is a monster in a different class (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

However, Brady never inspired the same passion. Many people made the case that Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning had more talent when they were in their prime. Others said that Drew Brees was a better pure passer. Brady’s consistent longevity was his superpower but he was never the ultimate quarterback in terms of overall talent – even in his era.

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The New Era: Reasons Why Patrick Mahomes Is Better Than Tom Brady

The New Era: Reasons Why Patrick Mahomes Is Better Than Tom Brady

4,000 Yards Guaranteed

Super Bowl MVP

No Cheating

Key Cog

More Arm Strength

Stronger Divisions

All-Pro King

Top Prospect

Higher Ceiling

Playoff Success

Jordan vs. Russell

All About Football

Overcoming The Odds

AFC King

Super Bowl Appearances

Weaker Receivers

Passing Machine

The College Sweetheart

Rushing Yards

Rapid Success

The Clear Best

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