This is Mahomes’ league now

After Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards corralled Patrick Mahomes on a 3rd-and-long scramble that had him limping late in the first half of the Super Bowl LVII, it raised concerns about whether he could be effective in the second half. Remember, he was coming off a sprained ankle in the divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the way he was limping, it appeared he couldn’t even walk.

He answered the question of how he would respond by throwing a touchdown to start the third quarter, which included him scrambling for 14 yards, and led the game-winning field goal drive by scrambling for 26 yards. He also threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give the Chiefs a 38-35 Super Bowl victory on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

He showed he had an answer after the Chiefs trailed 24-14 to the Eagles at halftime. It was why he won the Super Bowl LVII MVP.

We learned a valuable lesson from this game: doubt Mahomes at your own peril.

There’s no reason for anyone to ever worry about Mahomes’ performance under adversity anymore. There’s no reason to wonder if he can be human rather than extraordinary if he gets hurt. He showed right there he’s at his best when he gets hurt or when he’s behind, it seems.

The Chiefs' star finished 21-of-27 for 226 yards and three touchdowns to validate his comeback performance. There’s no doubt football fans will be talking about his play now and forever. It will be a highlight of what should be a Hall of Fame career.

It’s fitting that Mahomes put on another showcase for his legacy in Super Bowl LVII now that Tom Brady has officially retired for good. It was a changing of the guard for all intents and purposes as far as who is the man in the NFL.

This is Mahomes' showcase. NFL players are living in his world. He is the standard that Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and other great quarterbacks need to match.

The only thing Mahomes is now chasing is Brady, as in, can he top the Patriots quarterback for the most championships at seven? There’s plenty of time for him to do that. He is in his prime at age 27. You figure he can win at least three more with the way he and the Chiefs are going right now.

Mahomes is still writing his own story despite winning two Super Bowls. His story is about whether he can be the greatest quarterback of all time. His story will get more interesting as the years unfold. He can still play at a high level for the next 10 to 15 years. He has been durable despite getting hit often.

If there is a guy who can beat Brady’s record, it’s Mahomes. He just has that grit and clutch gene that is so Brady-like. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should be thankful that he was able to luck into Mahomes as a product to sell after Brady left.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback put on the best performance of his career considering the circumstances in this year’s Super Bowl. This was for the championship. He showed he had the moxie and intellect to lead the Chiefs from behind to win a Super Bowl championship.

The Chiefs needed a lift after the Eagles outplayed them in the first half. The Eagles led the Chiefs in time of possession from 21:54 to 8:06, which explained why the Chiefs didn’t do much offensively in that half. They would get the ball to start the second half though. This was where they needed to score in that spot.

Mahomes orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter, cutting the Chiefs’ lead to 24-21. Then, he set up a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, giving the Chiefs a 28-27 lead to start the fourth quarter.

After the Eagles tied the game at 35 on Hurts’ touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith and the two-point execution, it was Mahomes that came with another response. This time, he milked the clock and did everything he could, including a 10-yard pass to Juju Schuester-Smith and scrambling for a 26-yard run to be in the Eagles’ 17, putting Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in a position to kick the game-winning field goal.

Mahomes’ second-half performance was a cheat code for comebacks. He made it look so effortless and beautiful. This is what the greats do. This is the standard we see from the Chiefs star when he is out there.

There’s a reason he’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time regular season MVP, as well as five-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and one-time Offensive Player of the Year. He does things no one can teach. He just knows what he’s doing out there.

Mahomes wrote his ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canton a long time ago. It’s not about that anymore. This is about chasing Brady as he continues to write his story.

Everyone expects and wants more out of him. He wants that out of himself, too.

It seems like he is still in the beginning stages of his story. It sure looks like there will be more to come. That’s the beauty of all this.

It’s hard enough as it is to win the Super Bowl, let alone get to the Super Bowl. He understands it since he appreciated being in the Super Bowl and winning it after losing in the Super Bowl and in the AFC Championship Game. For him to win two and be on pace to win more, it shows right there he is a legend in the making.

Brady has now passed the torch to Mahomes for supremacy.

Mahomes has accepted it with aplomb and grace.

Sunday not only served as another highlight of Mahomes’ career: but it might as well be the beginning of a new chapter of NFL greatness.

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