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Mahomes would make it if his career ended today, but would he be a first-ballot selection?
For the fourth time in just six seasons as a starting NFL quarterback, Patrick Mahomes is set to play in the Super Bowl while looking to win his third championship and Super Bowl MVP honor.
That’s an absurd level of success for a QB who’s only 28 years old, but it’s also what we’ve come to expect from Mahomes, who is already on pace to go down as one of the greatest NFL players of all time.
Be it the regular season or playoffs, Mahomes is as good as it gets. He currently owns the highest passer rating by any NFL quarterback in playoff history (106.3) and second in regular-season history (103.5).
Obviously, Mahomes has a long career ahead of him that’s sure to produce more Super Bowl trips, but let’s say he grew tired of the game and retired today. With his current resume, would that be enough to get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
While it would be a short career, he’d undoubtedly make it to Canton eventually, anyway.
But would he be a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
That’s where the debate gets interesting, especially with the NFL having just announced its 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Mahomes is already one of the greatest to ever play the game, and he has four Super Bowl berths to prove it. He’s thrived on the game’s biggest stage, as evidenced by his two Super Bowl MVP trophies.
Only six players have won multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. Tom Brady, widely regarded as the GOAT, holds the record with five, followed by Joe Montana with three, while Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning, and Mahomes all have two.
So with another Super Bowl MVP trophy, he’d join Montana and Brady as the only players to ever win 3+. If Brady isn’t the GOAT, then Montana is probably the next choice, at least among quarterbacks.
Here are some other notable career achievements for Mahomes.
Mahomes is one of just four quarterbacks in NFL history to have at least four seasons of 4,500 passing yards and 35+ passing touchdowns, joining Tom Brady (five), Drew Brees (four), and Peyton Manning (four). Manning was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, while Brady is a lock to be one, and Brees is likely to be one as well.
Mahomes was the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 20,000 career passing yards,
From 2018-19, Mahomes had a streak of 14 straight regular season games with two-plus touchdown passes, the second-longest streak in NFL history, narrowly behind Peyton Manning’s streak of 15.
Mahomes already ranks sixth in passing touchdowns in NFL playoff history with 39, one behind Peyton Manning (40). So with two-plus passing scores in Super Bowl LVIII, Mahomes would move into the Top 5.
Mahomes is currently tied with eight other players for the most Super Bowl wins by a QB with two. With a win Sunday, he’d move into a tie with Troy Aikman for fourth all-time with three championships as a starting QB. Aikman was a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
So yeah, Mahomes is getting into the Hall of Fame if he retires today, and he’s probably a first-ballot selection. If he leads the Chiefs to a win in Super Bowl LVIII, we can safely change probably into definitely.
