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It was suggested that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes may have already exited his prime.
As the saying goes, time is undefeated, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is entering a significant season in that regard, as he enters his age-30 campaign.
Don’t worry, Chiefs Kingdom, Mahomes isn’t retiring anytime soon, but there is the question of whether or not he’s still in his “prime years” as a player and a QB. On June 25, Pittsburgh Steelers legend and two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger hinted that he believes Mahomes’ prime has already come and gone while speaking on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast.
“Well, I would take Aaron [Rodgers] in his prime over Patrick [Mahomes] now,” Roethlisberger said, while discussing the career of new Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I think Aaron Rodgers at his prime was one of the top few to ever do it, and so is Patrick Mahomes at his prime. [But] Patrick Mahomes is just entering out of his prime. [So,] I think Aaron Rodgers.”
To be clear, Roethlisberger didn’t appear to mean any disrespect by this comment. In fact, he went on to praise Mahomes as one of the all-time greats at quarterback, calling him “phenomenal.”
He also noted that prime Rodgers versus prime Mahomes would be a really tough call, again implying that the Chiefs QB’s peak years are already behind him.
Is Ben Roethlisberger Correct in Hinting That Patrick Mahomes Has Already Exited His Prime as a Quarterback?
There’s a lot to take into account when debating whether or not Mahomes has exited his prime as of 2025.
First off, let it be known that even if Mahomes’ athletic prime is behind him, that doesn’t mean he cannot win Super Bowls and perform really well in the process. The NFL history books are jam-packed with different ageless wonders at QB.
Tom Brady won championships with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his age-41 and age-43 campaigns. Peyton Manning finally earned Super Bowl ring No. 2 during his final season, at age 39.
And then there are quarterbacks like Kurt Warner and Rich Gannon who seemed to get better as they got older.
At the end of the day, football is a young man’s game, but the rules don’t always apply to quarterbacks. And they definitely don’t apply to Mahomes, whose trajectory as a winner is only comparable to Brady all-time.
It’s true, Mahomes is coming off two straight down seasons, statistically speaking. But the Chiefs have also adjusted their approach following the Tyreek Hill trade, putting more resources into their defense and their offensive line — with mixed results on the latter.
General manager Brett Veach hadn’t really bulked up on offensive weapons for Mahomes until recently, spending premium draft picks on Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy while also bringing in Hollywood Brown in free agency, and two-thirds of the trio were sidelined with injury in 2024.
It’s Time for the Chiefs to Help Patrick Mahomes More on Offense
If the determining factor of a QB being in their prime is their ability to single-handedly change the outcome of the game, then perhaps Mahomes has taken a slight step back.
Few NFL quarterbacks can do it all on their own. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have tried, and neither has ever reached a Super Bowl, let alone won one.
So, it wouldn’t necessarily be fair to say Mahomes has exited his prime just because he needs a little more help at wide receiver and offensive line. And that’s before we get into the potential impact of the offensive coordinator position switching over from a more aggressive Eric Bieniemy back to Matt Nagy — although head coach Andy Reid has always overseen the offensive operation and the playcalling.
As stated above, there’s a lot to take into account when debating if a quarterback has exited their prime, simply because every QB is different, and so many different factors go into a quarterback’s ability to thrive at the NFL level.
For example, if Mahomes has a resurgent season with a healthy WR corps, posting somewhere around 4,700 to 5,000 passing yards and 35-plus passing touchdowns, is he then considered to be back in his prime despite entering his early 30s?
It’s a difficult question to answer, being that the supporting cast has changed. For now, Mahomes will have to live with Roethlisberger’s cruel 30th birthday reminder as he attempts to “turn back the clock” in 2025.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller
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