Every time the GOAT discussion pops up, it’s been two names the last few years: Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. And not without reason. Now that Brady’s hung his cleats, Mahomes is the only one with a shot at stacking up more laurels. It took Brady 23 years in the NFL to stack up 7 Super Bowl wins; in his 8th year, Mahomes has already won 3, and is eyeing a 4th this year.

The Kansas City Chiefs this year have been nothing short of phenomenal. The thing is, they’ve been that way every year since Mahomes became their starting quarterback. Former quarterback Chase Daniel was keen to label the Chiefs as “elite” and is “already a dynasty” at this point, with their 6 consecutive appearances in the AFC championship game, of which they’ve won 4.

Daniel was a stat-spitting machine, bringing up Mahomes’ Chiefs’ record against all the teams that set out to “humble” them. With two Super Bowl wins on the trot, the team is “going for a 3-peat” and that sets them apart per Daniel. To sum it up, in the words of Chase Daniel, the Chiefs are a “living, walking, talking, breathing dynasty and they are about to 3-peat again.” Even though the first regular season games for the Chiefs this year were regarded as being hard ones, the Chiefs sailed through (though it might have been a slightly tight squeeze).

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson, by now has a stained record against the Chiefs under Mahomes. After 5 matchups, he’s led his team to only 1 victory against the side. And even that one win came with a 1 point margin back in 2021, 36-35. Yet he was resilient in the post-match conference after their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs. “Not my Kryptonite,” he said to the press, denying all rumors that he regarded the Chiefs as undefeatable. He was also particularly insistent on the topic of the last second potential touchdown that was ruled out-of-bounds by inches. Mahomes later mocked the statement, “Just got to wear white cleats next time.”

The Cincinnati Bengals too, were regarded as posing a credible threat to the Chiefs. And they proved what they were made of, with Joe Burrow‘s side nearly clinching it, barely losing 25-26. Burrow was a bit more respectful to the Chiefs though, even if he was mad at the last second penalty that might have cost them the game. Unlike the Ravens game, where Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were fairly close in terms of yards passed (291 vs. 273), the Bengals game saw Burrow passing significantly more yards than Mahomes (258 vs. 151). The difference was made up for with the Chiefs’ superior rushing and kicking performances. Isiah Pacheco for the former and Harrison Butker for the latter were game changers.

Is the 3-Peat a possibility?

There’s no point mincing words, Mahomes’ Chiefs are clear favorites to win this year, followed by the San Francisco 49ers. Mahomes’ record is unquestionable, and with the Ravens and Bengals out of the way, who’s the next big challenge? Perhaps the 49ers next month? Or maybe even the Buffalo Bills all the way out in November?

Their next game is against the Atlanta Falcons, and though it is important to take every game seriously, the Falcons haven’t beaten the Chiefs in more than a decade. The Falcons’ quarterback, Kirk Cousins, has spoken positively about Patrick Mahomes in the past, “It’s good for our league to have a player at the top like that, who carries himself the way he carries himself, I think he’s a great person as well as a great player.” He’s also been candid about his respect for Steve Spagnulo, the Chiefs’ defensive coach.

When players in the NFL are positive and respectful, they’re honest about how they feel about the Chiefs. They’re dangerous to face, but good opponents, and there’s clearly a lot of admiration there. Regardless of which way the coming season goes, it’s clear Patrick Mahomes is going to give us one hell of a show.