National Football League

Patrick Mahomes a real contender to compete for Tom Brady’s GOAT status

Updated Feb. 14, 2023 2:31 p.m. ET

During the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII, Patrick Mahomes ran 26 yards on a sprained ankle with three Philadelphia Eagles in tow. There was almost no way he'd complete the run without someone bashing and twisting his ankle as he fell to the ground. And, well, that's what happened. Eagles safety Kyzir White ripped Mahomes to the ground.

"He disappeared for a bit, watching it from up above. Then he reemerged, and I'm like, ‘Who's that running with the ball?' Of course, it was Superman," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told NFL.com's Jim Trotter.

Superman — or The Flash? (There was that trailer for that upcoming DC movie, after all.)

After tumbling to the grass, Mahomes jumped to his feet and winced. No doubt there was pain. But there must have been joy, too. The Chiefs had tied the game with roughly two and a half minutes left. And Mahomes had just gotten them to Philadelphia's 17-yard line.

Kansas City was on the verge of victory because of that run. Because of Mahomes.

So long as they controlled the next 165 seconds, he was going to be the hero and the MVP of this game. And in the first half, there was a brief moment when it wasn't at all clear if Mahomes would finish the game. There was a point going into halftime when backup Chad Henne was warming up on the sideline in the event Mahomes couldn't return after reinjuring his ankle. The Chiefs QB looked like he could barely walk after getting tackled in the open field during the second quarter.

Nick Wright on Patrick Mahomes' scramble

Nick Wright explains why Patrick Mahomes' fourth-quarter scramble is his most memorable moment of Super Bowl LVII.

But Mahomes got back up again and again and again. Kicker Harrison Butker hit the game-winning field goal. Mahomes won his second Super Bowl. Andy Reid won his third — and his second with Kansas City.

The Chiefs have the makings of a dynasty.

"You can call it a dynasty; you can call it whatever you want," tight end Travis Kelce said Sunday after the game. "All I know is, we're coming back next year with our heart in the right mindset while trying to get another one."

If the Chiefs are going to be a dynasty, Mahomes is the one who makes it happen.

And if that happens, Patrick Mahomes could wind up being regarded the greatest quarterback of all time.

Will Mahomes surpass Brady as the GOAT QB?

At 27, Patrick Mahomes has now won two regular-season and two Super Bowl MVPs. Shannon Sharpe discusses whether Mahomes will surpass Tom Brady as the GOAT quarterback.

Tom Brady, of course, retired this offseason. And it makes for a nice coincidence that Mahomes won a Super Bowl just a week after Brady decided to end his playing career. Mahomes is just starting to get hot. He's rocketing his way into the record books, with almost unprecedented success after just six seasons. Brady set an incredibly high bar, and Mahomes has a long way to go. But he is Brady's clearest challenger.

"[A second Super Bowl win] solidifies your greatness," Kelce said postgame. "It wasn't beginner's luck or however you want to call it."

Make no mistake: Mahomes needed help to win Super Bowl LVII.

He got it from so many different teammates. Linebacker Nick Bolton scored a 36-yard touchdown after a fumble. Returner Kadarius Toney returned a punt 65 yards. JuJu Smith-Schuster logged a team-high seven catches for 53 yards and managed to draw a game-changing holding penalty on third-and-8 on the 15-yard line during the Chiefs' game-winning drive. Kelce put up six catches for a team-high 81 receiving yards and a touchdown. Even running back Jerick McKinnon contributed by smartly sliding at the 1-yard line at the end of the game to ensure the Eagles wouldn't get another chance to score. This goes on and on.

But that didn't dilute Mahomes' effect.

His 26-yard running play was one example of how he took the game into his own hands. It was one of many big plays in the second half. Because his first half was lackluster — he completed 8 of 13 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown and ran for 11 yards.

But in the second half? Mahomes got going. He was 13-of-14 for 93 yards and two touchdowns. He also had four carries for 33 yards. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of yardage because the Eagles controlled the time of possession — and the Chiefs got the massive punt return from Toney that flipped the field in their favor. But the lack of time of possession made every drive count.

They had only four total drives in the second half.

The results: touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, game-winning field goal.

"I wish I would make it easier and not be down, but I feel like I play better when we are down," Mahomes said.

Every pass mattered. And the Eagles defense was not letting Mahomes get anything but short chunk plays. He had to be patient. He couldn't dazzle with deep heaves. He had to play a careful and incisive game while spending 35:47 of the 60 minutes watching Jalen Hurts play out of his mind with four total touchdowns and two deep passes, both for 45 yards.

Ultimately, Mahomes' greatness shone through in the second half. He has matured beyond his 27 years.

"[After winning your first Super Bowl], you're just like a little kid winning a prize at the fair," Mahomes said postgame. "Whereas with this one, you understand how hard it was. You've dealt with failure. You know how hard it is to get back on this stage and to win this game. I mean, I played in a Super Bowl where I got blown out, where it was all hyped up and you go out there and you don't do anything."

Patrick Mahomes' all-time status

Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, LeSean McCoy and David Helman discuss what this second Super Bowl win means for Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes' performance was something of legend — and, frankly, something that resembled what Brady did for so many years. Maybe Mahomes said Brady's seven Super Bowl wins appear like an impossible milestone to surpass. But Andy Reid also made it clear last week that Mahomes wants to be the greatest quarterback of all time.

With a win in Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes' GOAT campaign has plenty of life.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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