Where Should Chiefs' Mahomes Rank Among Iconic Passers in NFL History?

Trying to pick the best quarterback in NFL history is a fool's errand. Nevertheless, we can't help ourselves. We all do it.

Maybe because it's the most important position in the most popular sport in the country. Plus, it has the most statistics to analyze, and it's the position that gets the most media attention. So why not take a stab at who we think is best?

Which is why I will. However, my question is not who the top quarterbacks are. It's more specific and goes like this: Can one quarterback with just seven years of NFL experience be ranked with the best of all time?

The quarterback in question is Patrick Mahomes, and the answer is yes.

Why? For starters, he meets the criteria that writers, fans, historians and others use to rate the position -- the aforementioned statistics, for example, as well as personal honors like MVP awards, All-Pro and Pro Bowl accolades.

Then there are the championships. Fair or not, getting rings matters. Analytics types will tell you that "QB Wins" are not a statistic, and, OK, so they're not a statistic.  But a win-loss record tracks the most important object of the game.

And that's winning.

It's always difficult to sort changes in the game and how they affected passing numbers in different eras. But it's fair to compare them within a particular era when we measure quarterbacks vs. their contemporaries.

As far as the winning goes, some accomplished quarterbacks were stuck on teams that didn't win Lombardi Trophies (think Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton or Dan Marino) or the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy that once traveled to the home of the NFL champions (1934-67) -- similar to Stanley Cup today.

And then there's the most subjective criterion: the "eye test." It's an all-encompassing take on a quarterback's game that's purely subjective. It could include, say, how he threw ... or if he was cool under pressure ... or maybe how he operated as a leader.

Virtually anything.

So, after balancing all that and more, let's return to the question of the day: Where should Patrick Mahomes be ranked at this early juncture of his career? Well, let's start with what my Top Ten looked like before Mahomes became ... well, Patrick Mahomes:

1. Tom Brady

2. Joe Montana

3 . Johnny Unitas

4 . Otto Graham

5 . Peyton Manning

6 . Sammy Baugh

7 . John Elway

8 . Aaron Rodgers

9 . Brett Favre

10 . Roger Staubach

Naturally, now that Mahomes has won three Super Bowls, two MVPs and three Super Bowl MVPs in seven seasons, there's no way to leave him out of the Top Ten, even though he has just over 28,000 yards passing and 219 touchdown passes. Why? Because rings are permanent. Awards are permanent. The only thing that can change is winning more of them.

We all know that he passes the "eye test," so the only question might be career statistics. As you'd expect, his totals don't compare to the likes of Brady and Manning or even Favre, Rodgers and Drew Brees -- quarterbacks who played twice as long and produced 475 touchdown passes along with 60,000 or 70,000-plus passing yards. Mahomes must play a long time ... even at his current rate of production ...  to reach those milestones.

But does that matter? I don't think so.

At what point was Jim Brown considered the greatest running back of all time? The fifth year of his career? Before or a bit after? The year doesn't matter. It was early in his career. When was Jerry Rice seen as the best wide receiver of all time? Maybe year six? Or a little after that? What about Lawrence Taylor?  When was he considered the top outside linebacker ever?

Some people stand out right away, and, love him or hate him, Patrick Mahomes is one of them.  No, he's not the G.O.A.T. like Brown, Rice and L.T. It will take a long time for him to surpass Tom Brady. But that's the good news. He has a lot of time.

So where should he be listed today? Make your own decision. For me, he's already ahead of John Elway and a hair behind Sammy Baugh. I have Baugh sixth because of his impact on history and how his skills and accomplishments were ahead of his time.

It's an historical judgment.

No, I'm not naive to think old timers would be dominant today. Most couldn't make a current NFL roster if they were put in a time machine and brought forward. But that's not what Top Ten or Top 50 lists are about. They're meant to celebrate the history of a game that has enveloped our American culture.

And mine will. So here's my current Top Ten:

1 . Tom Brady

2. Joe Montana

3. Johnny Unitas

4. Otto Graham

5. Peyton Manning

6. Sammy Baugh

7. Patrick Mahomes ↑

8 . John Elway

9. Aaron Rodgers

10 . Brett Favre

I have Mahomes seventh with a bullet. When he does amass more career passing totals -- and, on his current pace, he will quickly -- expect to see him burst into the Top Five.

Your move.