Patrick Mahomes is already being talked about as the GOAT, including by people whose opinion is to be respected.

But Mahomes can’t be the GOAT. He’s not going to win seven Super Bowls like Tom Brady. If he comes close, the conversation will come around to Brady beating Mahomes in a Super Bowl and an AFC championship game.

To truly be the GOAT, Mahomes must win eight Super Bowls. He won’t.

But Mahomes is in the discussion currently. Ultimately, Brady wins. Unless Kenny Pickett does.

Mahomes’ stock could nosedive Sunday if Kansas City loses the Super Bowl. Then we can talk about Mahomes being 1-2 in Super Bowls, or about him quarterbacking the Chiefs to AFC championship games in each of his five years starting.

You can back the good argument or the bad argument. Which is why it’s all crap.

So much is involved: Recency bias, regional bias and it’s all opinion manufactured by bias. We’re in an era of lazy media where loudly compiling lists and making proclamations passes for actual analysis. (Guilty as charged.)

Dan Marino is comparable to either Brady or Mahomes. But he never won a Super Bowl.

Marino’s stats, video and arm nonetheless stand up to Brady, Mahomes and anybody. But rings are the easy basis for declaration.

Except in Otto Graham’s case.

The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback won seven championships in 10 seasons: Three in the NFL and four in the All-America Football Conference, the NFL’s rival from 1946-49. Graham and the Browns entered the NFL in 1950 and immediately won the NFL title, doing much to legitimize previous accomplishments.

Graham played in his league’s championship game in all 10 of his pro seasons. He was league MVP five times. Graham did GOAT things.

But nobody even talks about Graham. That’s because it happened before Super Bowl III, the starting point for pro football as America’s top sport.

All the GOAT talk is totally subjective, mostly stupid and creates situations where great accomplishments are easily dismissed or diminished.

Players need to know their own worth. Whatever they do should be reward enough in itself. For example, T.J. Watt has never won a playoff game.

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