The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to their fourth Super Bowl in the last five years after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship.
That sparked ESPN’s Mike Greenberg to offer some bold praise for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
As you would expect, Mahomes played a big role in the Chiefs’ victory, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown while completing 77 percent of his passes. This win certainly boosts Mahomes’ resume massively in terms of career accolades. At 28, Mahomes has already made it to four Super Bowls and could very well be on his way to winning his third, this one in back-to-back fashion.
Simply put, very few quarterbacks have ever had this kind of success this early on in their careers. Mike Greenberg took it one step further and proclaimed that Mahomes is the best quarterback ever.
“This is the greatest run of Patrick Mahomes’ career,” Greenberg posted on X. “His team was the most vulnerable it’s ever been. He had to face Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson on the road. And he’s back in the Super Bowl. He’s the best quarterback ever and he’s 28 years old.”
This is the greatest run of Patrick Mahomes career.
His team was the most vulnerable it’s ever been. He had to face Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson on the road.
And he’s back in the Super Bowl.
He’s the best quarterback ever and he’s 28 years old. #ChiefsKingdom
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) January 28, 2024
On talent alone, there is a very good argument for Greenberg’s assessment being correct. However, many fans pointed out that it may also be a bit early to make that kind of assessment.
I don’t think it’s taking anything away from Mahomes to say that it’s clearly too early to declare him the best ever. He may well yet become that, but come on.
— @recruit96 (@Recruit96) January 28, 2024
They scored ZERO points in the second half.. how quickly they forget about Tom Brady is remarkable https://t.co/dRBGGXjR1w
— Jordan Lopez (@JordanTLopez) January 29, 2024
Mahomes is moving up the charts and quickly. But Tom Brady is the best ever, Joe Montana is second best. Mahomes still has work (with plenty of time to do so) to do on his resume. https://t.co/nFWhU2Kt2c
— Dan Gladman 🪬 (@dgontheroad) January 29, 2024
Agree with everything till the end. How could we easily forget the last 21 years of what Tom Brady did? It’s so funny how ridiculous sports takes have become. https://t.co/DyfIEqEqx7
— TheShowThor (@TheShowThor) January 29, 2024
Mahomes deserves his praise, but let’s be fair with the narratives. Brady had to pass Montana in rings before he even started to get his praise, Brady also got ridiculed for winning a SB while only scoring 13 points.. Mahomes scored 17 today and is getting called the GOAT?? https://t.co/sbVG6h9UBE
— Tyler Kane (@tykane13) January 29, 2024
This topic is entirely up for interpretation, as there isn’t a clear correct answer on this matter. However, it does seem to be a bit rushed for Greenburg to make this kind of statement.
If Greenburg had said that Mahomes is on the career trajectory to be the greatest quarterback ever, that would be a much more reasonable take.
As others mentioned, Tom Brady and Joe Montana had sustained success for the better part of two decades. Mahomes could very well follow in their footsteps and eventually surpass them in the future. But there is simply no telling how his future plays out and if it will ultimately end up with a full career to match his predecessors.
