Patrick Mahomes has redefined the quarterback job since becoming the Kansas City Chiefs’ full-time starting quarterback in 2018. Not only has Mahomes rewritten the record books, but the Chiefs have won many games during the process.
Kansas City has never missed an AFC Championship Game in the four years Mahomes started, winning two of them and winning Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes was the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl MVP, the youngest quarterback to win the league MVP since Dan Marino in 1984 (when he won the award), and he already holds 11 records of the NFL in his five full seasons as a starter.
Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals is a big milestone for Mahomes as he will be making his 75th career league start. Mahomes already holds every major record for a quarterback entering his 75th career start, erasing each of the previous marks.
This week’s “By the Numbers” looks at Mahomes through 75 career starts (which he has yet to make) and how he is rewriting the league’s history books in the process. We’ll also take a look at Mahomes’ 2022 season and how he’s poised to set multiple NFL records in another MVP campaign.
Most wins in first 75 starts – NFL History
- Patrick Mahomes (leaders) — 59*
- Ken Stabler (Raiders) — 58
- Roger Staubach (Cowboys) — 57
- Daryle Lamonica (Raiders) — 56
- Tom Brady (Patriots) — 56
* Played 74 games (74 starts)
Most Passing Yards in First 75 Games – NFL History
- Patrick Mahomes (chiefs) — 22,576*
- Matthew Stafford (Lions) – 21,254
- Andrew Luck (foals) – 20,569
- Dan Marino (Dolphins) — 20,293
- Kirk Cousins (Vikings) – 19,904
* Played 74 games (74 starts)
Most Assists in First 75 Games – NFL History
- Patrick Mahomes (leaders) — 180*
- Dan Marino (Dolphins) — 173
- Aaron Rodgers (Packers) — 148
- Andrew Luck (foals) — 144
- Brett Favre (Packers) — 135
* Played 74 games (74 starts)
Highest passer rating in first 75 games – NFL history
- Patrick Mahomes (chiefs) — 105.7*
- Aaron Rodgers (Packers) – 104.2
- Russell Wilson (Seahawks) — 100.4
- Dak Prescott (Cowboys) – 98.8
- Philip Rivers (loaders) — 96.1
* Played 74 games (74 starts)
Mahomes broke the record books in his first 74 starts, but perhaps the most impressive number is the 59-15 record. The .797 winning percentage is already the highest in NFL history for any player who has made at least 75 starts, and Mahomes can become the first quarterback to have a .800 winning percentage with at least 75. starts with a win over Cincinnati on Sunday.
Among quarterbacks who have made 75 starts, Daryle Lamonica has a career winning percentage of .770 – the highest of all time. Tom Brady is second with a .754 winning percentage while Roger Staubach is third with .718.
The misnomer in this list is Otto Graham, who has never made 75 career NFL starts. Graham started 71 games for the Cleveland Browns, going 57-13-1 with an .803 winning percentage — the best for any player who has made at least 50 starts. That’s not counting his All-American Football Conference games (the Browns hail from that conference and played there from 1946 to 1949). Graham led the Browns to four straight AAFC championships, but there were no official scores for every AAFC game to track his starting record (the Browns didn’t join the NFL until 1950 ).
Either way, Mahomes has become the barometer of quarterback play in the NFL today – while already being compared to the all-time greats of his sport. As Mahomes enters his second MVP campaign, he’s also set to rewrite the single-season record books for quarterbacks.
Most Passing Yards in First 11 Games – NFL History
- Peyton Manning (Broncos) – 3,722 (2013)
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 3,689 (2011)
- Matt Ryan (Falcons) – 3,683 (2018)
- Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) – 3,664 (2018)
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 3,647 (2013)
- Mahomes has 3,585 yards (11th on the all-time list in 11 games)
Most passes + rushing yards in first 11 games – NFL history
- Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) – 3,859 (2022)
- Andrew Luck (foals) – 3,834 (2014)
- Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) – 3,814 (2018)
- Matt Ryan (Falcons) – 3,780 (2018)
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 3751 (2011)
Most Passing Yards in Season – NFL History
- Peyton Manning (Broncos) – 5,477 (2013)
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 5,476 (2011)
- Tom Brady (Buccaneers) – 5316 (2021)
- Tom Brady (Patriots) – 5235 (2011)
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 5208 (2016)
- Mahomes is set to finish with an NFL-record 5,540 passing yards
Most passes + rushing yards in season – NFL history
- Drew Brees (Saints) – 5,562 (2011)
- Peyton Manning (Broncos) – 5,446 (2013)
- Tom Brady (Buccaneers) – 5397 (2021)
- Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) – 5369 (2018)
- Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) – 5,359 (2019)
Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards (3,585) and passing touchdowns (29) this season, putting him on pace for 5,540 passing yards this season – which would be the most in the history of the NFL. He’s also on pace for 45 touchdowns, which would be his second season of 45-plus passing touchdowns (tying Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history).
Mahomes is set to become the second player to have 5,000 passing yards and 300 rushing yards in a season (Justin Herbert accomplished the feat in 2021). He’s rushed for 274 yards so far on the year and is on pace for 423 rushing yards on the year. Combine that pace with his 5,550 passing yards and Mahomes is on pace for 5,963 passing+ rushing yards on the year — easily the most in NFL history.
Averaging 350.8 passes + rushing yards per game, Mahomes would need to average 356.8 passes + rushing yards per game to hit 6,000 on the year. Those numbers are more than enough to land Mahomes a second MVP award this year.
If Mahomes wins the MVP title, he will be the 10th player in NFL history to win multiple MVP awards. Mahomes will be the third-youngest player at the time of his second MVP award and he would be the first player to win two MVPs and a Super Bowl MVP in his 20s (Mahomes just turned 27 in September).
After the best start for a quarterback in NFL history, Mahomes can add even more to his resume in the coming months. What Mahomes has done in a player’s first 74 games may be unmatched in NFL history.
