When a Super Bowl combines the greatest quarterback in NFL history and the greatest young quarterback in NFL history, comparisons abound. You could argue that it happened when Joe Montana about to win his second of four — faced off against second-year man Dan Marino in Super Bowl XIX.
Of course, in Super Bowl LV, we have a GOAT in Tom Brady who has proven that title beyond all argument, and a young gun in Patrick Mahomes who has already won a Super Bowl, and is now trying to become the first quarterback to go back-to-back since Brady himself did it in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX.
The stylistic contrasts between the two quarterbacks are as wide as possible, which makes the game even more fascinating. Brady as the perfect pocket passer and pocket mover who will carve up any defense you throw at him, and Mahomes as the perfect mixture of quarterback and athlete.
On Monday, both Brady and Mahomes were asked which skills they’d like to steal from each other if they could. As one would expect, and justifiably so, it came off like quite the mutual admiration society.
“Oh, there’d be a lot of them,” Brady told Kay Adams of the NFL Network. “You kidding me? I love how he drifts back in the pocket and takes it about six yards deep, and then drops back to about 19, 20 yards… probably 15 yards… right foot in the ground, and then he flicks the ball 60 yards on a dime to Tyreek [Hill] or something like that. He just has a great awareness of the pocket. Incredible vision of the field, and he knows just when to get rid of the ball. Great poise in the pocket, and he’s got that sweet little whippy arm I used to have when I was a little bit younger. He’s got the athletic ability to extend plays… he’s got all the physical tools, and he’s got all the mental tools. He’s gonna be in this game quite a few more times, in my opinion.”
“Yeah there’s a ton,” Mahomes said Monday of the things he’d like to steal from Brady’s skill set. “I mean, the way he’s able to dissect defenses before the snap is something that I truly admire. I’m trying to get to that level. The way he’s able to move within the pocket and to be able to reset his feet and to be completely calm and still make the throw right on the money no matter who’s around him, is something that I’ll have continue to work on. As I continue in my career, I’m going to try to do whatever I can to watch tape on him, because he’s doing it the right way and you can tell by the Super Bowl championships he has and rings on his fingers.”
Mahomes with Brady’s ability to diagnose? Could happen over time. Brady doing what Mahomes does? Not quite as likely, though it hasn’t hurt him much.