Tony Romo: Mahomes Will Never Match Brady's Legacy If He Loses Super Bowl 55

All that is at stake for Patrick Mahomes during the Super Bowl is any chance at all to catch the legacy of Tom Brady, at least in the eyes of Tony Romo.

No pressure.

"This is the biggest game Patrick Mahomes will ever play in for the rest of his career," Romo told reporters. "He has to win this game. If he loses this game, he cannot catch Tom Brady, in my opinion."

While calling this the biggest game for the rest of a 25-year-old's career may be a stretch—especially if that 25-year-old has a league MVP and two Super Bowl appearances in his first three years as a starter—it is difficult to envision Mahomes ever catching Brady in terms of Super Bowl rings if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs.

That would give Brady seven titles in 10 Super Bowl appearances. The New England Patriots are the only franchise to appear in more than eight Super Bowls, and Brady was the starting quarterback in nine of their 11.

Still, if anyone is going to threaten Brady's spot atop the quarterback mountaintop, it is Mahomes.

"Could you imagine if Michael Jordan had gotten his team to the [NBA] Finals when he was older against a young LeBron James?" Romo asked. "It would be the greatest thing in the history of sports … I think we actually might have that game."

James never had the chance to close the gap with MJ in a head-to-head showdown. Mahomes does with Brady.