Patrick Mahomes is already a Hall of Fame lock
Patrick Mahomes has bigger things on his mind than thinking about his legacy, so we'll do it for him. There's no question the Chiefs QB would be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer if he retired today.
And it's not just us saying it.
Don't tell that to the Chiefs, who need the five-year veteran against the formidable Eagles defense in Sunday's Super Bowl.
Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor estimates a player's chances of making the HOF. Based on its metrics, Mahomes has as strong a case for the Hall of Fame as Bob Griese, Warren Moon and Len Dawson, who played a combined 50 seasons. All are Hall of Famers.
Per Stathead, Mahomes has a higher career completion percentage (67.1) than those three Hall of Fame peers and as many regular-season touchdown passes (192) as Griese, who played 14 seasons, albeit in a much different era of football.
Where he outshines those players -- and other Hall of Fame QBs, including Kurt Warner, Steve Young and Troy Aikman -- is in the postseason.
Aikman (three) and Young (three) have Mahomes beat in Super Bowl rings but not much else.
In 13 playoff starts, Mahomes is 10-3, including a Super Bowl win. In the postseason, he has passed for 3,902 yards and 32 touchdowns. His playoff completion percentage is 66.7 (331-for-496).
Mahomes has more postseason passing yards and touchdown passes than Aikman (23) and Young (20) in fewer games. Warner, his closest playoff comp, finished his career with the same number of postseason starts as Mahomes.
In the playoffs, Warner was 307-for-462 (66.5 percent) for 3,952 yards and 31 touchdown passes. He went 9-4 in the postseason and won one Super Bowl.
Mahomes' achievements already are comparable -- and often exceed -- several great QBs who came before him.
Luckily for fans, Mahomes has millions of reasons to play far beyond Sunday. If he decided to retire, though, the Hall of Fame would call soon.
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