Patrick Mahomes is the final boss. Somehow, some way, it always comes down to him. Since becoming the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting quarterback in 2018, he has transformed the NFL into a video game, waiting at the highest level to knock off all challengers. The longer he stays on top, the more he seems like a glitch.
On Sunday, the Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles with history at stake. A victory would make Kansas City the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row, a feat that has eluded even the greatest dynasties. The championship run started with a win over the Eagles two years ago in Super Bowl LVII.
Philadelphia has the size advantage on both the offensive and defensive lines, along with the addition of a game-breaking running back. Yet, the fact remains: the Chiefs have Mahomes, and the Eagles do not. If the game is close, betting against Mahomes feels as foolish as trusting a cat to babysit a goldfish. He has that championship DNA, the ability to summon greatness in the biggest moments.
Consider the perspective of a seven-time champion, who once held Mahomes back from reaching the top. Early in his career, Mahomes lost an AFC championship game and a Super Bowl to the greatest winner the sport has ever seen. But even in those defeats, he gave his team a fighting chance just by having the ball in his hands. Those early battles were only setbacks in an ascent that now seems inevitable.
Sunday will mark Mahomes’s fifth Super Bowl appearance. He has already won three times and been named the game’s most valuable player in each victory. He has not yet turned 30, but his body of work already rivals the greatest to ever play the position. A third consecutive championship—something no one else has achieved—would make his place among the legends unquestionable.
The story of the greatest quarterbacks is often one of defying expectations. Some arrive as underdogs, overlooked by scouts, forced to claw their way to the top. Others succeed within the structure of a perfectly designed system. Mahomes, however, is something different. He is the immovable force at the top of the mountain, the player who sends rivals back to square one.
He has held back an entire generation of elite quarterbacks. A two-time league MVP in Baltimore has beaten him only once. This season’s MVP from Buffalo has now lost to him three times in four years when it mattered most. Philadelphia’s quarterback delivered an all-time performance in their last Super Bowl meeting, only to watch Mahomes erase his efforts with perfect clock management. One rival, a talented young quarterback from Cincinnati, has managed to win head-to-head matchups—but even those victories are blunted by the reality of playing for a franchise that can never quite get over the hump.
In the days leading up to games, Mahomes undergoes a transformation. Off the field, he is mild-mannered, a father of three. On it, he is relentless, with a focus that unsettles even his own teammates. That intensity has drawn comparisons to the greatest closers in sports history. Whether trailing in the fourth quarter or facing elimination in a championship setting, certain athletes always seem to find a way to deliver. Mahomes belongs in that conversation.
What makes him even more dangerous is how much he has evolved. In his early years, he overwhelmed defenses with deep passes, no-look throws, and left-handed tosses. He had elite weapons around him, players who could turn broken plays into touchdowns in an instant. But now, those game-breakers are either gone or past their prime. Rather than forcing highlight-reel moments, Mahomes has adapted. He is more methodical, lulling defenses into a false sense of security with short passes before striking at the perfect moment.
A drive in this year’s AFC championship game showcased his evolution. With his team trailing in the fourth quarter, he delivered a short pass that turned into a big gain, ran for a touchdown himself, and then completed a two-point conversion—flipping the game in a matter of minutes. He no longer wins with a single knockout punch. He suffocates opponents with a thousand cuts.
The more he dominates, the more it seems unfair. How can one player be this good? Some believe he gets lucky breaks. A close call in this season’s opening playoff game went in his favor, adding fuel to the idea that the game bends for him. Rival fans claim he receives special treatment from officials. His influence, they argue, has grown too large, extending beyond football into pop culture and even politics.
Most great athletes take years to step fully into their greatness. Mahomes arrived ready. If he secures another championship, he won’t just be the sport’s final boss. He may leave everyone wondering if the game is impossible to beat.
