Patrick Mahomes is chasing Tom Brady. Brock Purdy is playing in the shadow of Joe Montana.
Winning the Super Bowl would be another major step for either quarterback.
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Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs seek to become the first team in 19 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls when they take on Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
For Mahomes, itās an opportunity to win his third NFL championship in his sixth full season as a starter at age 28. Brady won his third of seven Super Bowl rings in his fourth season as a starter at age 27.
For Purdy, itās a chance to complete his journey from being the last player selected in the 2022 draft to leading a storied franchise to a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title. Only the Patriots and Steelers have won six.
If Mahomes is going to make a run at Bradyās record, he has to win this one. These opportunities are rare.
The Chiefs had a difficult path to get to this point and had to go on the road twice in the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomesā era. Thereās a reason why no team has repeated since Brady led New England to two Super Bowl victories in a row in the 2003-04 seasons.
A third title in five years would solidify Kansas Cityās claim to a dynasty. The Patriots won three in four years in the 2000s and they won three in five years in the 2010s.
āI think in dynasties, I always say youāve got to win three,ā Mahomes said before the season. āOur job is to do whatever we can to win as many as we can, not have any regrets when we step off the field. I think if we keep the mentality we have, we can look back at the end of our career (and) then we can decide if weāre a dynasty or not.ā
The Chiefs realize they have a unique talent in Mahomes, already a certainty for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP has built an impressive resume and is working toward being in the GOAT conversation.
āWe see it every day, we donāt take that for granted,ā coach Andy Reid said. āWe respect the job that he does, and we appreciate it. We know weāre seeing something special, and heās still young in this business. Thatās a great thing for the Chiefs, itās a great thing for the city. Itās somebody you can build around and (general manager) Brett Veach does a great job with that of making sure that other positions are relative to that. Itās a positive thing that weāre very aware of is the best way I can say it.ā
If Purdy wins, heāll stamp his own identity in San Francisco, where Montana led the 49ers to four championships in the 1980s and fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer, Steve Young, helped them win their fifth title 29 years ago.
Purdy rose from being āMr. Irrelevantā to replace Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance and won his first seven career starts, including two playoff games. But he suffered a significant elbow injury in the first quarter of San Franciscoās loss at Philadelphia in the NFC championship game last year.
Purdy returned from surgery to start the season opener and was outstanding, becoming a finalist for the AP NFL MVP award. He led the NFL with a 113 passer rating and his 9.6 yards per attempt were the most in the NFL for a qualifying QB since Kurt Warner had 9.9 in 2000. Purdy was the first Niners quarterback in more than 20 years to throw for more than 4,000 yards (4,280) or at least 30 TDs (31).
Heās helped the 49ers advance with a pair of comeback wins in the playoffs, showing off some of those āJoe Coolā qualities in the clutch that made Montana one of the all-time greatest winners.
And this week, Purdy, the AP has learned, signed a major deal with Toyota to be a national partner and brand ambassador, becoming the first active player the company has partnered with since signing a partnership with the NFL in October 2023.
All he needs now is a Super Bowl MVP trophy. Heād be happy with just a win.
āWhat a challenge. Youāve got Mahomes, what he does, their team, theyāre special,ā Purdy said. āTheyāre winners. Theyāve proven that over however many years heās been there. For us to go back and play them is going to be sweet, going to be special for all of us. I wasnāt here obviously in ā19. You could just tell the guys that have been here, like, anybody, it would be special for them to play these guys. Iām excited to be a part of it.ā
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