One of the most intriguing rivalries between quarterbacks is the one between Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady and Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.
Brady, having played his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, is a veteran in the League as compared to Mahomes, who was drafted 10th in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Although Brady declared retirement in February 2022, he reconsidered it and the rivalry between Mahomes and Brady is set to continue for at least one more season.
Both quarterbacks started their rookie season as backups, but their success rates greatly.
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Brady vs Mahomes Career Stats
Despite having a head start in terms of experience, Brady lags behind Mahomes in both regular-season completion percentage, average yards per game, passer rate and yards per rushing attempt. However, Brady holds the record in regular-season games started passing touchdowns, passing yards in both the regular season and playoffs and passing touchdowns.
| Patrick Mahomes | Tom Brady | |||
| Regular Season | Playoffs | Regular Season | Playoffs | |
| Games (G) | 63 | 11 | 318 | 47 |
| Games Started (GS) | 63 | 11 | 316 | 47 |
| Pass Completions (COMP) | 1,550 | 280 | 7,263 | 1,165 |
| Attempted Passes (ATT) | 2,345 | 423 | 11,317 | 1,855 |
| Completion Percentage (PCT) | 66.1 | 66.2 | 64.2 | 62.8 |
| Passing Yards (YDS) | 18,991 | 3,381 | 84,520 | 13,049 |
| Average Yards per Game (AVG) | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| Touchdowns (TD) | 151 | 28 | 624 | 86 |
| Interceptions Thrown (INT) | 37 | 7 | 203 | 39 |
| Passer Rating (RATE) | 105.8 | 105.7 | 97.6 | 90.4 |
| Rushing Attempts (RSH ATT) | 238 | 55 | 664 | 114 |
| Rushing Yards (RSH YDS) | 1,189 | 323 | 1,124 | 133 |
| Yards per Rushing Attempt | 5.0 | 5.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Rushing Touchdowns (RSH TD) | 8 | 5 | 27 | 7 |
| Super Bowl Wins | 1 | 7 | ||
| Super Bowl MVPs | 1 | 5 | ||
| NFL MVPs | 1 | 3 |
Brady vs Mahomes Super Bowls
Brady is well-known for his record 7 Super Bowl wins and 10 appearances in the championship. Mahomes on the other hand has only one Super Bowl win under his belt but seems like he has many more to go.
| Patrick Mahomes | Tom Brady | |
| Super Bowl Appearances | 2 (2019, 2020) | 10 (2002, 2004-2005, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017-2019, 2021) |
| Super Bowl Wins | 1 (LIV) | 7 (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII, LV) |
| Super Bowl MVPs | 1 (LIV) | 5 (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI, LV) |
Brady vs Mahomes Records
Tom Brady probably has a record for all the records he holds, such as for most games played, started and won by a quarterback, most NFL championships by a player and most championships in Pro Football History.
Patrick Mahomes holds records such as fastest to 10,000 career passing yards and 100 career touchdowns, most consecutive more than 300 passing yard games and most touchdown passes thrown in a game.
At 25, Mahomes still has a long way to go and is a prospective quarterback who can break Brady’s records.
Brady vs Mahomes head-to-head
Both quarterbacks hold impressive records, some of them are:
| Patrick Mahomes | Tom Brady | |
| Pro Bowl | 3 (2018-2020) | 14 (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2018) |
| First Team All-Pro | 1 (2018) | 3 (2007, 2010, 2017) |
| Second Team All-Pro | 1 (2020) | 2 (2005, 2016) |
| NFL Passing Touchdown Leader | 1 (2018) | 4 (2002, 2007, 2010, 2015) |
| NFL Passing Yards Leader | 0 | 2 (2005, 2007) |
| Completion Percent Leader | 0 | 1 (2007) |
| Quarterback Rating Leader | 1 (2018) | 2 (2007, 2010) |
Brady vs Mahomes Matchups
Brady and Mahomes have played against each other 5 times. In their first matchup in 2018, Brady’s Patriots defeated Mahomes’ Chiefs with a 43-40 score.
Their second face-off was in 2019, in which the Patriots won yet again with a score of 37-31.
The next matchup was later the same year, with the Chiefs finally defeating the Patriots 23-16.
In 2020, Mahomes evened the score, defeating Brady, now playing for the Buccaneers, with a narrow gap of 27-24.
In 2021, Brady took the lead once again, winning Super Bowl LV and earning his 7th Super Bowl ring and setting the record for the quarterback with the highest number of Super Bowl wins. This game was a defining one, especially for Brady as he also made history as the oldest quarterback to have started and won a Super Bowl.
Brady vs Mahomes: Who is the better NFL player?
Comparing Brady’s experience of over 2 decades filled with awards and records to Mahomes’ paltry 4 seasons, it can be established that Tom Brady is indeed a better NFL player.
However, Mahomes too has his fair share of achievements he earned in a short span of time. He may very well be the next Tom Brady.
Also Read:
Who is Patrick Mahomes' Wife, Brittany Matthews?
