"Did something happen to Joe Montana?": Rob Parker isn’t sold on Patrick Mahomes surpassing Tom Brady in the GOAT conversation just yet

Patrick Mahomes may be the face of the NFL’s present — but when it comes to legacy, he's still chasing ghosts from the past. With three Super Bowl wins under his belt before turning 30, Mahomes has already carved a resume that most quarterbacks can only dream of. Yet, in the league’s ever-burning debate over who truly deserves the “GOAT” crown, a single Super Bowl loss may have done more damage than stats can ever reflect.

Super Bowl LIX wasn’t just another game — it was a fork in the road for Mahomes’ legacy. A victory would have placed him in a unique echelon: four championships in just seven seasons, a mind-bending three-peat, and a legitimate case to dethrone Tom Brady — or at least share the throne. Instead, the loss not only stalled momentum, but it also opened the floodgates for renewed scrutiny.
Even Tom Brady had foreseen what was at stake. A warning had been issued — and Mahomes is now feeling the weight of what could’ve been.
But perhaps more striking than Brady’s looming shadow is the reemergence of another NFL titan in the conversation — Joe Montana. Legendary sports analyst Rob Parker recently reignited that discourse with a sharp critique of Mahomes’ perceived leapfrogging in GOAT rankings.

“We’re talking about [Patrick Mahomes] chasing Brady, and I was like, ‘wait a minute. Did something happen to Joe Montana?’... when did [Mahomes] pass Joe Montana?” Parker questioned on The Coach JB Show.
And it’s a valid point. Montana’s record in Super Bowls — 4-0, with three MVPs — remains untarnished. He did it with and without Jerry Rice, a player so dominant that many argue he deserves his own GOAT pedestal outside the quarterback realm. Mahomes, while also delivering without Tyreek Hill, still had Travis Kelce — arguably the greatest tight end ever — to rely on.
So does Mahomes' excellence hold up under comparison?
Statistically, yes — in some areas, astoundingly so. His career passer rating (102.1) soars above both Montana (92.3) and Brady (97.2). He’s already closing in on Montana’s career passing yards and touchdown totals — with just 8,199 yards and 28 TDs separating them. And he’s done all this in a much shorter window. Unlike Montana, Mahomes is thriving in a more pass-heavy, analytics-driven era that demands quarterbacks adapt constantly.
But greatness in football is never judged by numbers alone. Brady’s longevity, adaptability, and relentless postseason brilliance elevated him into an entirely different class. Seven rings. Multiple dynasty runs. A decade of dominance followed by a second wind in Tampa Bay. That’s not just success — that’s sustained supremacy.
Until Mahomes secures more Super Bowl victories, the gap — however narrow it may seem — will remain. His rise may mirror Brady’s in speed and Montana’s in execution, but legacy is measured in the moments that define careers, not just the stats that support them.
The conversation is far from over, but for now, Mahomes isn’t writing history — he’s chasing it.
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