Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes Oct 2, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) greets Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Russo rattled off two hot takes in one thought this week, dubbing Patrick Mahomes the best quarterback ever while alleging Tom Brady was a game manager.

On the surface, declaring Patrick Mahomes the best quarterback in NFL history isn’t a hot take. Two regular season MVPs, two Super Bowl MVPs, a winning percentage near 80%, and video game-like statistics in real life is enough to make Mahomes a viable GOAT, even though he’s just 28 years old. But when you consider the source, it was a shocking declaration.

“I’ve been watching quarterbacks since Namath and Unitas back in the mid-60s. And Starr, I saw him,” Russo said on his SiriusXM radio show this week before turning his attention to Mahomes. “I’m gonna say this really definitively, he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what else to tell you, he’s the best. Mahomes this is. He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever seen. There’s nobody better than this kid. He’s unbelievable.”

Sports media’s resident historian Chris “Mad Dog” Russo thinks a 28-year-old quarterback is the greatest of all time? That’s a shocker. This is a sports host who argued Bob Cousy was better than Chris Paul and Larry Bird is the best three-point shooter of all time despite averaging less than one triple a game for his career. Surely, Russo would have tabbed a quarterback from the leatherhead era as the greatest of all time. And if Russo was going to go with a more modern quarterback, he has to go with Brady considering his Super Bowl prowess, right?

“I know Brady won the six and won the seventh with Tampa, but Brady does have a little bit of a game manager component to him,” Russo continued. “And I know Brady’s the wonderful winner…you wanna say he’s the GOAT of all time because he’s got seven, one without Belichick, I can’t argue with you too much if that’s what you point is. But for my money, 64 years of age, sports shows for 40 years…this is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen.”

Game manager? Sheesh. Obviously, Brady’s athleticism and raw talent pales in comparison to Mahomes’. But game manager? The quarterback with the most career passing yards, touchdowns and Super Bowl wins, a game manager? Sports fans might expect this type of analysis from a kid, maybe a Nick Wright or Dan Orlovsky. But Russo is supposed to be on radio and TV to appease the older fan by keeping the legacies of Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr alive. Mahomes the GOAT and Brady a game manager? Before you know it, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo will put Shohei Ohtani ahead of Babe Ruth.

[SiriusXM]

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com