Patrick Mahomes is quickly ascending the ranks of all-time quarterbacks, but he doesn't put himself in the top five… yet.
Patrick Mahomes has accomplished more than your average quarterback by age 27. He's a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time MVP, and a two-time Super Bowl MVP. The Chiefs are the most intimidating offensive force in football, and Mahomes is the consensus best quarterback working today.
While Mahomes still has a long way to go in his NFL career, he is already approaching the point of all-time greatness. Not many quarterbacks who have spent two decades in the league have résumés that can stack up with Mahomes' current list of accomplishments. He's a truly generational talent.
When asked to name the five greatest QBs of all time, however, Mahomes wasn't ready to include his name just yet.
Patrick Mahomes ranks top-5 quarterbacks of all time, doesn't include himself
Asked by Ben Felderstein of Complex Sports, Mahomes gave his list of the five greatest QBs — and went into detail about how, even in a changing sport, he can still learn a great deal from the past.
The list: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Montana. The fifth spot, Mahomes said, is a battle between Dan Marino and John Elway. It's hard to find fault in that list.
"… there's some great quarterbacks that played this game man, I'm just trying to learn from them because even though the game has progressed, there's still stuff in the past that helps you become a better quarterback."
Clearly Mahomes is still learning and growing. At 27 years old, he's theoretically at the front end of his prime. He could get even better. On top of the ridiculous arm talent and elite mobility, Mahomes is one of the smartest QBs in the game. He makes lightning-quick reads and is capable of picking apart a well-telegraphed defense, not unlike an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady.
The question on everyone's mind, of course, is what more does Mahomes have to accomplish before he joins the esteemed ranks of Brady, Rodgers, and the all-time greats at his position. When asked by Felderstein how many Super Bowls he wants to win, Mahomes had a simple answer: as many as possible.
"As many as possible. I mean, they're so hard to win. Everybody's going to say you want to chase Brady and try to get to eight or whatever. I don't know if I'm going to play until I'm 45, so I'm going to try… I'm going to play this game until I can't play at a high level and try to take care of my body. But I'll try to win as many as possible. And I mean, you think of eight or whatever Tom won, that seems crazy now, so I'll take it one at a time, but I'll try to win as many as I can."
Mahomes might not play until he's 45, but he has a lot of football left in the tank. The Chiefs are built to sustain a winner around him, with many of their core pieces signed to long-term contracts right alongside Mahomes.
If he can add more rings to his collection, and maybe even with another MVP or two, it won't take long for Mahomes to be widely considered one of the best to ever sling a pigskin.