Explained: How Patrick Mahomes is becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the third time in five years on Sunday (Feb 11) and their quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) each time. He's now tied with Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana for second-most Super Bowl MVP awards and two behind legendary Tom Brady's five. With the Super Bowl 2024 win, the Chiefs have all but ensured the start of their dynasty if they were not already and Mahomes has played a huge role in it.

The QB landed in Kansas City in 2017 and has been their leader since 2018. He helped the franchise win its first Super Bowl in their history in 2020 - his third year in the league and still with a rookie contract. The Chiefs were there again in the next year but Mahomes lost to the man he's becoming heir apparent of - Tom Brady.

After a gap in 2021, the Chiefs were at it again and like how. They became the only the eighth team in National Football League (NFL) to achieve a repeat by winning Super Bowls in 2023 and 2024 and the first since New England Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005.

In all the Super Bowl wins for the Chiefs, Mahomes has not only been the MVP but has led his team from behind to victory - a trait very well associated with the greats of the game.

On Sunday, the Chiefs were down by three points at 16-19 with 1:53 left in the regulation time. Any other QB with same experience as Mahomes in the league would have felt the extra pressure but the Chiefs leader showed his class and ability to rise up when needed. The QB led an 11-play, 64-yard drive which ended in a field goal and the game was sent to the overtime.

In OT, Mahomes led another drive, this time of 75-yard and converted it into a history-making & game-winning touchdown for the Chiefs.

"It means a ton," said Mahomes after the game. "With the adversity we dealt with this year and to come through, the guys never faltered," he added.

The reason his guys did not falter is because they knew Chief Mahomes will be able to bring them ahead if they just kept at it with him like it had happened in 2020 and 2023.

In Super Bowl 2020, they had faced the same opposition as in 2024 - the San Francisco 49ers. At the end of the third quarter, the Chiefs were down 20-10 in 2020 before Mahomes threw two TD passes in the final quarter and winning them their first Lombardi.

In 2023, Jalen Hurts was on song for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs were trailing 24-14 by the end of Q2 & 27-21 by the time last 15 minutes started. Mahomes once again threw two TDs in the Q4 to take their team home for the second time in four years.

Come this Sunday, the points were at a premium and the Chiefs were down seven points at the half-time. Mahomes changed the game with a touchdown and before he conjured the magical drive in the OT.

The QB, however, wants more and said after the game: "We're not done," he said. "We've got a young team. We're going to keep this thing going."

All of these heroics definitely put Mahomes in contention to be the latest quarterback to become one of the greats of the game like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. And, if his three Super Bowl rings aren't enough, his numbers sure don't lie.

Ever since making his debut in 2017, Mahomes has played 96 games in the NFL. He has completed 2,386 of his 3,590 passes at a completion percentage of 66.5. He has managed to pass the ball for 28,424 yards in 96 games already, averaging 7.9 yard per pass to go with 219 touchdowns. All of this is in regular season!

As for the post-season, he becomes even more dangerous with two 1000-plus passing yards seasons that too in last three years. In 2021, he threw for 1,057 yards in three post-season games while managed 1,051 in four games this season. Overall, he has played in 18 post-season games and managed 5,135 passing yards along with 41 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

The QB, however, still shares the credit with the teammates and said on Sunday: "I'm just proud of the guys. They kept believing. And I'm proud of the coaches for calling up those plays that got us some touchdowns there at the end."

While it is early to tag Mahomes as one the greats of the game, he surely is playing like one and if he manages to do so for about three or four more years, he'll definitely put up his name alongside the likes of Montana, Brady and Rodgers.