“Mahomes’ Chiefs make history as the NFL’s first repeat champions since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots clinched two straight titles across the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Brady, who retired with seven championships, remains a legend in the sport.”

Mahomes’ Chiefs mark the NFL’s first repeat champions since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots won two straight across the 2003 and 2004 campaigns. Brady retired with seven championships to his name, including three in the space of four seasons with the Patriots

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Mahomes has three, having visited four Super Bowls, having reached the AFC Championship Game in his six years as starter (an NFL first) and having now also won three Super Bowl MVP awards, all while still 28.With Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs are now just the sixth franchise in history to win three in five seasons.

This was his finest hour. His most unlikely hour. But was it even unlikely? The Chiefs dropped four of six games during a spell between November 20 and Christmas Day, on the latter of which a 20-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders prompted a plummet in expectations surrounding a team that looked no match for the Baltimore Ravens, the 49ers and the rejuvenated Buffalo Bills.

They claimed an eighth straight division title to secure the No. 3 seed, but had ranked 15th in scoring offense, ninth overall, sixth in passing and 19th in rushing while Mahomes averaged a career-low in passing yards per game having recorded a career-high 14 interceptions throwing to a receiving core responsible for more dropped catches than any team in the league.

They were nowhere close to the standard. Only, the league forgot that Mahomes WAS the standard.”I think when you go against guys like Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes, you never feel comfortable with a lead,” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. “Those guys are two of the best players to ever play the game. And that’s why when you have a lead or you’re down points, those guys are always in it. I watch them all the time doing that stuff.”

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense had been the story, and continued to lead the way come the postseason as they shut down Tyreek Hill and Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins attack, before stifling Josh Allen and bottling up an MVP-bound Lamar Jackson. Defense was the driving force again at the Super Bowl, until it was time for Mahomes’ moment.

“Unbelievable. He [Mahomes] hit it on the head: the adversity they faced all year long, especially towards the tail end of the season,” said former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, speaking as part of the Sky Sports NFL team in Las Vegas.”What a Super Bowl we got to sit here and witness. That was all about the greatness of Mahomes.”