“He’s Chasing the GOAT”: Ex-NFL WR Compares Patrick Mahomes’ Pursuit of Tom Brady to Tiger Woods’ Chase of Jack Nicklaus’ Record

Chiefs starting QB Patrick Mahomes rose to prominence after winning the prestigious title of NFL’s MVP in his second season in 2018. In the seasons that followed, he saw considerable success leading the Chiefs to two Super Bowls and being named the MVP in both the SB wins. While he’s already a legend in his wake, his comparison to Tom Brady’s legend and records is undeniable. 

The Chiefs’ recent 27-24 victory against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs marked Mahomes’ sixth back-to-back AFC Championship game. It was a game that led him to break the GOAT’s 12-win playoff record with 13 under the age of 30. But as far as major wins are concerned, can he beat Brady’s SB win record? 

Bucky Brooks calls Mahomes’ Brady chase playing for “rings and respect”

According to former Chiefs cornerback Bucky Brooks, Patrick Mahomes is playing for two things which are “rings and respect.” The 52-year-old said, “The respect that he’s trying to get is that he’s chasing the GOAT… Pat Mahomes is chasing Tom Brady. It’s Tiger Woods chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record.” What Brooks meant is that it could be a big challenge for Patrick Mahomes to beat the retired NFL legend’s record just as it was challenging for golf pro Tiger Woods to reach Jack Nicklaus’ record. 

Nicklaus won 18 Major titles compared to Wood’s 15 titles, an unbeaten feat that he thinks “will probably stand for a while.” Although Woods consistently tried to break the 83-year-old’s record, he wasn’t able to and Nicklaus said, “If he remained healthy I think he would’ve gotten it, but he didn’t remain healthy. I feel bad for him.” But where do Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady stand in terms of this comparison?

The odds of Patrick Mahomes beating Tom Brady’s SB record

Tom Brady played in the NFL from 2000 to 2022 primarily for the New England Patriots. In his 23 seasons, he appeared in 10 Super Bowl games and won seven, making an NFL record. Mahomes, on the other hand, joined the NFL in 2017 and has won two Super Bowls out of three appearances till now.

If he’s to break Brady’s record, he’ll need to make it to the Super Bowl each year and win 70% of the appearances, which can be a tough call. This will also mean that he might have to play until his 40s at a high level with any injury leading to a failure in his chase after Tom Brady’s record. 

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However, it looks like the 28-year-old is on a steady road towards achieving his potential long-term goal. Along with his tight end Travis Kelce, Mahomes just broke the QB-TE duo playoff record that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski previously held as they tied for 15 each. But the crazy thing is that the Brady-Gronk duo achieved this feat in 11 seasons of playing together while the Mahomes-Kelce duo finished it in seven seasons. Only time will tell what can happen to Mahomes’ chase of records. 

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