Tom Brady is keeping a watch. Maybe with a smirk. Perhaps with a raised eyebrow. But definitely with interest. Because the one quarterback everyone is measuring against him is Patrick Mahomes. And the gap is closing faster than anyone expected. But Julian Edelman just pointed out one key thing Mahomes still has to do before he can dethrone Brady as the GOAT.
Edelman appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Jan. 28 and laid it out plainly. “He’s just got to do it for a long time,” Edelman said when asked about Mahomes’ path to surpassing Brady. “He’s on pace. This is remarkable if he goes out and does three in a row in a salary cap era. You can’t say much.” The former Patriots receiver spent years alongside Brady. And he acknowledged Mahomes’s brilliance. But for him, longevity is the defining factor.
Edelman’s comments come at a time when Mahomes is on the brink of making history. The Chiefs are heading to Super Bowl LIX. A win over the Eagles would give Mahomes his fourth ring which would include a 3-peat. And that’s one more than Brady had at the same age. But Edelman isn’t just talking about numbers. He’s talking about sustained greatness. The kind that carried Brady through three different championship eras across two decades.
“The only difference is the longevity,” Edelman said. “Tom had like three careers… Patrick’s been doing that his whole career, but it’ll be interesting for me to see the next chapter of Patrick Mahomes when some sort of adversity comes along.” And that’s the real test. Brady lost Pro Bowl teammates. He faced changed rosters and even switched teams. Yet he won at the highest level. Mahomes has had the stability of Travis Kelce and Andy Reid for now. What happens when they’re gone?
That’s where Edelman thinks the debate will be settled. The day Mahomes wins without his security blankets… that’s when the conversation shifts. Since that’s exactly what Brady did. He did it when he left New England and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers. And that’s the kind of resilience Mahomes will need to prove.
The numbers say one thing, history says another
Mahomes already has an edge if you just go by stats. Let’s take the first 112 games. Mahomes leads Brady in passing yards (32,352 to 26,370). He does that in touchdowns (245 to 197). And even in passer rating (102.1 to 92.9). Mahomes has outperformed Brady’s early years in every major statistical category. But numbers alone don’t tell the story.
Brady won seven Super Bowls, not three. He collected five Super Bowl MVPs, not two. He had built a dynasty. Then he lost key players. And then he built another. Mahomes has dominated since stepping into the league. But he hasn’t yet endured a decade-long championship drought like Brady did between 2004 and 2014. And that’s why Edelman’s words matter.
Mahomes could be the best quarterback of all time. But the title of GOAT is more than just talent. It’s about longevity, adaptability, and winning under any circumstances. He takes another giant step if he pulls off a three-peat this year. But to truly surpass Brady? He’s got to keep doing it for years to come.
It is not a cakewalk to become the GOAT, it’s a long road full of challenges. Tom Brady had his dominance for over two decades. Mahomes has a long way to go before he can match it.
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