Patrick Mahomes passed Joe Montana on Sunday.
That's the headline-friendly milestone.
I think another number from the same afternoon tells us more about the career Mahomes has built.
Kansas City's official postgame review confirmed that Mahomes threw his 274th career touchdown pass against Miami, moving him ahead of Montana into 20th place on the NFL's all-time list.
The same victory was also Mahomes' 115th career win, including the playoffs. According to the Chiefs, that matches Tom Brady for the most victories through 150 career starts in NFL history. Kansas City Chiefs
Those are two very different statistics.
Together, they explain why Mahomes' career is already so unusual.
Passing Montana Is Historically Cool — but Counting Stats Reward Time
There is something undeniably satisfying about seeing Mahomes move ahead of Joe Montana.
Montana isn't just another quarterback on a statistical list in Kansas City.
He finished his career with the Chiefs and led the franchise to the AFC Championship Game following the 1993 season.
More importantly, his name represents a standard of quarterback greatness that existed long before Mahomes entered the league.
Passing Montana in touchdown throws therefore carries historical resonance.
But career touchdown totals have an obvious limitation.
They accumulate.
If Mahomes remains healthy and plays long enough, he will pass many more quarterbacks on that list.
That doesn't make the achievement meaningless. It simply means the number partly measures longevity.
The Brady comparison measures something different.
115 Wins in 150 Starts Is About Pace
Matching Brady's victory total through the same number of starts gives us an apples-to-apples career checkpoint.
Mahomes didn't need more games to reach the number.
He reached it at the same point.
That is what makes 115 victories through 150 starts more revealing than simply climbing another spot on a career leaderboard. Kansas City Chiefs
It measures how quickly winning accumulated around him.
Of course, quarterback wins are not an individual statistic in the same sense as completion percentage or touchdown passes.
Mahomes didn't block for himself.
He didn't play defense.
He didn't kick field goals.
His career has included Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and championship-level rosters.
Brady's career included Bill Belichick and exceptional teams of his own.
So 115 wins should not be used as a mathematical proof that one quarterback is better than another.
It is evidence of something narrower and still remarkable: through 150 starts, Mahomes' teams have won at a pace matched only by Brady's.
The Timing Makes the Milestone More Interesting
Mahomes reached this checkpoint after the first losing season of his career as Kansas City's starter.
The Chiefs went 6-11 in 2025.
Mahomes then had to rehabilitate the serious knee injury that ended his season.
Kansas City changed the roster around him and entered 2026 facing legitimate questions about whether the dominant version of the Chiefs was finished.
Three games later, Kansas City is 3-0.
Mahomes has thrown for 812 yards and seven touchdowns through the first three weeks. Pro Football Reference
That context makes the 115th win feel different.
It isn't simply another victory added during an uninterrupted dynasty.
It came during an attempted rebound.
There Is Another Mahomes Number Worth Watching
Kansas City's official review also noted that Mahomes now has 83 games with multiple touchdown passes, eight more than any other NFL quarterback since he became the starter in 2018. Kansas City Chiefs
That helps connect the wins to the individual production.
Mahomes hasn't merely happened to quarterback teams that win frequently.
He has repeatedly produced at a high level while they do it.
That's why the combination matters more than either statistic alone.
Touchdown passes tell us about production.
Wins tell us about team results.
The overlap is the story.
My Take
Passing Joe Montana is the milestone that looks best in a headline.
Matching Tom Brady through 150 starts is the one I'll remember.
Not because quarterback wins settle the greatest-of-all-time argument. They don't.
But because they capture the speed of Mahomes' career.
He hasn't needed 15 seasons to accumulate a résumé that already forces his name into conversations with the most accomplished quarterbacks ever.
Sunday was career start No. 150.
His teams have won 115 of them.
He has three Super Bowl championships.
And after the first genuinely bad season of his starting career, the Chiefs are 3-0 again.
Mahomes will keep climbing the touchdown list if he stays healthy.
The more interesting question is whether the winning pace keeps climbing with him.
Through 150 starts, only Brady has kept up.
Sources
Kansas City Chiefs — 10 Quick Facts Following the Week 3 Win Over Miami Kansas City Chiefs
Pro Football Reference — Patrick Mahomes career and 2026 statistics Pro Football Reference
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