Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is the universally recognized as the GOAT of the position.
A winner of a league-record seven Super Bowls while appearing in ten Super Sunday games, Brady’s desire to win and be the best was second-to-none.
The former Michigan Wolverines standout lived for the game so much that in 2022 he even retired before returning a mere 44 days later, much to the chagrin of his now ex-wife Gisele Bündchen.
It’s highly unlikely that Brady’s record seven Super Bowls wins will ever be matched, but if there’s one player in the league who could rival some of “Tom Terrific’s” numbers it’s two-time MVP and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes Is Today’s Tom Brady
The superstar signal-caller of the Kansas City Chiefs is the best quarterback in the NFL, and through six years in the league, Mahomes has played in five AFC Championship games and three Super Bowls, winning two. It’s safe to say Mahomes has never had to leave Arrowhead Stadium in the playoffs except for the Super Bowl.
No one will ever question Brady’s desire to win, but for some strange reason Jason Whitlock is doing so with Mahomes.
Brady’s Drive Is Unmatched?
During a recent episode of his “Fearless” podcast, the controversial host Jason Whitlock questioned if Mahomes wants it as badly as Brady did. While he gave Mahomes utmost respect for being a great QB, he just couldn’t say his want to is like Brady’s.
“I wanted to say this about Patrick Mahomes – what we’re finding out. Talented, Hall of Fame quarterback, going to go down in history as one of the top 10 quarterbacks, maybe top 5 of all time… But he does not have Tom Brady’s drive,” Whitlock said. “Winning isn’t as important to him as it was for Tom Brady. Some of that has to do with Mahomes was a first-round pick, the [Kansas City] Chiefs went up to get him I think in the top 10 of the draft, Tom Brady — chip on his shoulder, sixth-round pick — always had that chip on his shoulder.
“The Chiefs and Mahomes are a bit satisfied. Pat Mahomes is in any commercial he wants to be in, he’s got two MVPs, two Super Bowls — he doesn’t have a peer. Take Brady, he was always competing with Peyton Manning. Who is Patrick Mahomes competing with? Nobody. Patrick Mahomes isn’t Tom Brady, he’s not Tiger Woods, he’s not Michael Jordan.
“He’s just a super-talented guy. When I look at how their offense is backed up and he’s having a mediocre season, he’s a bit satisfied right now, his tight end is a bit distracted right now, he doesn’t have Tyreek Hill, and so he’s got some excuses and going through the motions.”
Whitlock Is Buggin’ Right?
Some of what Whitlock is saying is true, mainly about the offense and Travis Kelce’s attention waning since he started dating pop superstar Taylor Swift. But Mahomes has plenty drive, and that’s something you can never question.
Mahomes Displayed That Drive Last Season
After the team traded speedster Tyreek Hill following the 2022 season, many wrote the Chiefs off.
All Mahomes did was lead that team to its second Super Bowl win in five seasons. As far as drive goes, Whitlock must’ve missed Mahomes hobbling around on one leg for the better part of all three playoff games after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Jaguars in the divisional round.
Each week, he gutted and gritted out key runs and scrambles to lead his team despite being in excruciating pain.
Now that’s drive if there ever was any, and while this year hasn’t been Mahomes’ best offensively, they’re still 8-4 with a two-game division lead in the AFC West, and just one game behind the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens for the overall top seed in the AFC.
Drive and Mahomes go together. Whitlock needs to find another tree to bark up.
