Patrick Mahomes is unquestionably the best quarterback in the NFL right now, and there have been a lot of greats who have come before him. While Mahomes struggled to name his top five quarterbacks in the league today, the Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro signal-caller had five names in mind for his top five of all time.
The 27-year-old chose someone he’s played against, and in some occasions, lost against, on the big stage. The two-time Super Bowl champion went with none other than the GOAT himself: Tom Brady.
“Yeah, I mean, you got to say Tom’s 1,” Mahomes said (via Complex).
Mahomes lost to Brady in the young quarterback’s second Super Bowl appearance. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9, giving Brady his seventh Super Bowl win and marking the league’s first-ever home Super Bowl win.
They also faced off when No. 12 was with the New England Patriots in a thrilling AFC Championship Game that ended with a 37-31 overtime victory for the elder QB. Mahomes and Brady faced off a total of six times, splitting the meetings 3-3.
“But if you talk about the legends of the game, Tom, Peyton Manning, obviously Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana, and then it gets down to Dan Marino or John Elway to round off your top five,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes listed Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, who retired one year before Mahomes entered the league. The only current player Mahomes mentioned was New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Mahomes and Rodgers will meet on Oct. 1, marking the third time they’ll play each other. They’ve split the first two meetings, 1-1.
Montana, another popular pick as one of the top quarterbacks of all time, made the cut, coming in at No. 4.
Mahomes couldn’t quite name just five for his all-time list, saying Dan Marino or John Elway would take the No. 5 spot.
The game has changed since some of those older quarterbacks dominated the league, and though things look a bit different now, Mahomes knows he has a lot to learn from the legends that came before him.
” … There’s some great quarterbacks that played this game, man, I’m trying to learn from them because even though the game has progressed, there’s still stuff in the past that helps you become a better quarterback,” Mahomes said.
