Mahomes, Starr & Three-Peat
As Patrick Mahomes Chases History, Don’t Forget Bart Starr
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stands on the doorstep of NFL immortality. As the reigning Super Bowl champion, he has a chance to accomplish something unprecedented in the modern era: a three-peat. But while Mahomes and the Chiefs aim for this rare milestone, history reminds us that a certain Green Bay Packers legendBart Starrwas the original standard bearer for greatness in championship football. Before Tom Brady cemented his GOAT status, before Joe Montana made Super Bowl perfection the gold standard, there was Starr, the leader of Vince Lombardi’s dynasty. Mahomes could etch his name alongside Starr in football’s most elite clubbut first, he has to finish what he started.
The Three-Peat: An Elusive NFL Feat
Since the Super Bowl era began in 1967, no team has ever won three consecutive Lombardi Trophies. Not Brady’s Patriots, not Troy Aikman’s Cowboys, not Montana’s 49ers. It’s a feat even the dynastic Steelers of the ’70s couldn’t accomplish.While the Super Bowl hasn’t seen a three-peat, professional football has. The Green Bay Packers, led by Starr and coached by Lombardi, captured three straight championships from 1965 to 1967the final year of the pre-Super Bowl era followed by the league’s first two Super Bowls. That stretch still stands as one of the greatest runs in the sport’s history.Mahomes, with two rings in hand and the league at his feet, is in pursuit of a place even Brady couldn’t reach.
Bart Starr: The Unflashy, Undeniably Great Champion
If Mahomes dazzles with no-look passes, off-platform throws, and video game-like improvisation, Starr was the polar opposite: methodical, poised, and ruthlessly efficient. Starr may not have had Mahomes’ rocket arm or mobility, but what he lacked in highlight-reel plays, he made up for with unmatched leadership. A five-time NFL champion, Starr was at his best on the biggest stageowning a perfect 2-0 record in Super Bowls I and II while winning MVP honors in both. Lombardi’s Packers weren’t built around a star-studded passing attack. They dominated through power football, suffocating defense, and an elite football IQ from their quarterback. Starr’s ability to execute at the highest level, combined with Lombardi’s near-mystical presence, made Green Bay the first great NFL dynasty. Sound familiar? Mahomes has a modern-day Lombardi in Andy Reid, and the Chiefs have a knack for winning in the sport’s most pressure-packed moments. But even with all that, Mahomes still finds himself chasing Starr’s shadow.
Mahomes’ Quest for Unmatched Greatness
Mahomes already has two MVPs, two rings, and a résumé most quarterbacks would trade a lifetime for. But in today’s NFL, dynasties are fleeting. Free agency and the salary cap make sustaining success even harder than in Starr’s era. The last team to come close to a three-peat? Bill Belichick and Brady’s early-2000s Patriots, who won in 2001, 2003, and 2004 but couldn’t make it three in a row. If that dynasty couldn’t do it, how difficult will it be for the Chiefs?Mahomes, though, is built differently. His ability to elevate those around him has already carried the Chiefs to consecutive Super Bowl wins against very different opponents. He thrives on pressure, relishes the spotlight, and openly embraces the challenge of being the next great icon of the sport.If he pulls it off, Mahomes will move past Montana, Aikman, and Terry Bradshaw in at least one category. Even Brady, with his seven Super Bowls, never completed a three-peat. The discussion of the greatest quarterbacks ever won’t just include Mahomesit may start with him.
The NFL’s Greatest Standard
The chase for history is what makes sports great. Today’s game looks vastly different from Starr’s era, but winning at the highest level remains unchanged. Leadership, execution, and clutch performances define the greats, and Mahomesmuch like Starr before himis proving he has those traits in abundance.As the Chiefs prepare for their next Super Bowl journey, memories of Starr and the Packers’ three-peat loom large as the gold standard. Mahomes might be the most physically gifted quarterback the game has ever seen, but can he match Starr’s ultimate championship feat?If Mahomes hoists a third straight Lombardi Trophy next February, it won’t just be a historic momentit will be a football revolution. And when that happens, the conversation won’t just be about Mahomes versus Brady.It’ll be about Mahomes versus history itself.
