Former NFL executive explains why “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” in wake of Patrick Mahomes Sr. humbling Chiefs QB
Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady might never play another football game together again, but the two will continue to be evaluated for the foreseeable future in terms of legacies. After the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship, a conversation exploded comparing Brady and Mahomes, with seemingly everyone chiming in.
Even No. 15's father had his two cents. In a quote provided by ESPN's "Get Up," Patrick Mahomes Sr. ranked his son third in the all-time rankings. Here's how he put it:
"He's on the right trajectory, but right now I would still say [Brady and Montana] are better."
In response to Mahomes Sr.'s comments, "Get Up" guest and former Miami Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum explained why the comments were perfect:
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I mean, that's a great lesson in drafting and researching the background. What a classy, elegant statement. And when we see Patrick Mahomes say the right things over and over again, you can see where it comes from."
Tannenbaum continued, taking a shot at the Dallas Cowboys for making statements that only exacerbate issues:
"I think there are some other organizations, families, as we talk about Dallas quite a bit, where when you amplify problems, you're not competing against the 31 other teams. And that's something that I think Kansas City, of all the great things they do. ... But I thought it was awesome of his father to provide context."
Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady comparisons resemble arguments of yore
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has had a lot of comparisons to Tom Brady in the last week, but one signal-caller getting little attention in the conversation is legendary San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Montana. When Brady began embarking on finalizing his case as the greatest quarterback ever, comparisons were made between No. 12 and Montana.
Back then, it was an argument of whether Joe Montana being a perfect 4-0 in the Super Bowl mattered more than Tom Brady's ability to get to the Big Game more total times but also lose it more times.
In this case, a similar argument is taking place between Brady and Patrick Mahomes, with the former New England Patriots QB sliding into the Montana role as the "old GOAT" and Mahomes sliding into the role of the "new GOAT." However, unlike the Montana vs. Brady comparisons, Mahomes and Brady met multiple times in the playoffs.
While Mahomes did manage to beat No. 12 in the regular season, he never defeated him in the playoffs. Brady sent No. 15 home in Mahomes' first AFC championship appearance and his second Super Bowl appearance. Many have argued that while Brady wasn't unstoppable against Mahomes, he was unbeatable in games that mattered most.
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Get Up" and H/T Sportskeeda.