Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe Crown Patrick Mahomes as GOAT if Chiefs Three-Peat; First Take Crew Disagrees

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) leaves the field after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) leaves the field after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Tom Brady is the undisputed GOAT of the NFL, period. However, a three-consecutive Super Bowl win is something that the former Patriots QB couldn’t manage in his 22-year career. Surprisingly, Mahomes is closer to a three-peat if he wins the Super Bowl this season, achieving it with just 7 years of NFL experience. But would that make Mahomes the true GOAT over Brady? Many think so.

On the latest episode of First Take, Shannon Sharpe joined Stephen A. Smith and the other hosts to discuss the Chiefs potentially achieving a three-peat this season. They debated whether this unprecedented feat would solidify Mahomes’ legacy as the best quarterback in history. Surprisingly, both Sharpe and Stephen A. leaned toward Mahomes.

Sharpe, for instance, argued that Mahomes doesn’t need to win seven Super Bowls in order to match the level of Brady, or surpass it. If the Chiefs player achieves a three-peat, maybe five Super Bowls, and ends his career with more touchdowns, Pro Bowls, and other notable awards than Brady, Mahomes will be the GOAT in his eyes.

Stephen A. also echoed a similar sentiment:

“If Patrick Mahomes three-peats, that solidifies it. Period… First of all, Tom Brady never did that. I understand how phenomenal Tom Brady was without question. But Shannon pointed it out; first couple of Super Bowls, you didn’t really ask him to do but so much. You didn’t give him the keys to the very, very nice car that you gave to Patrick Mahomes.“

Though this was a very good point raised by Stephen A. and Sharpe, the other hosts on the show didn’t seem to agree and had their own counterpoints. Jeff Saturday, the former Colts center, admitted to loving Patrick Mahomes as a player but also stated that he’s nowhere near GOAT status just yet.

“I love Patrick Mahomes, but to say he’s the GOAT if they win four, it’s not even in that ballpark. I do think you got to get close to seven. Maybe if you get to six and you want three in a row, I could have that argument. Three in a row, I feel like helps you lower it a little bit, but on defense two of that discrepancy is still too large. You can’t make him the GOAT.“

No matter what anyone says, Sharpe is sticking with his argument and dying on the hill where Mahomes continues to be his GOAT. For him, Mahomes is the best quarterback of this generation.

Shannon Sharpe is choosing Mahomes as his GOAT no matter what

Patrick Mahomes clears all quarterbacks of the present day, regardless of how he’s been performing this season. With three Super Bowl rings in his hand already, he might be heading towards a legacy that could just surpass Brady’s record. Plus, seeing how the Chiefs have been performing consistently, he also has a team to win more and more trophies with.

This impact is worthy of GOAT status, Sharpe argues. He also believes that the GOAT title shouldn’t be given out so easily. The leading analyst cited Jim Brown, who, despite winning only one Super Bowl with the Browns, became a fan favorite. Therefore, Sharpe doesn’t require Mahomes to surpass all records, but rather to achieve enough that Brady wasn’t able to.

“We don’t normally bestow that. Even Jordan we didn’t give that title to. We don’t give that title to anybody other than Jim Brown, so I think he needs one more championship. Even if he wins the three-peat, he gets the five, he’s gonna be my GOAT. “

It’s clear that the debate will continue for years to come. But for now, the only thing we can focus on is the Chiefs clinching a three-peat. That won’t be easy, but the Chiefs are on the right track, currently standing at 8-0.