What did Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow say to each other after the AFC Championship Game?

The AFC Championship was decided by the slimmest of margins and if we’re honest, it could have gone either way. In the end the Chiefs stood tall, but the respect show between the quarterbacks was a nice reminder of the fact that not everything is about winning and losing.

Burrow vs Mahomes: From one QB to another

In the lead up to the AFC Championship game, there was a lot of banter between the Bengals and the Chiefs. From Cincinnati’s mayor naming Kansas City’s stadium “Burrowhead” to Travis Kelce clapping back, there was no shortage of jabs from either camp. Yet, when the dust finally settled on a tight 23-20 Chiefs win, it was plain to see that there was nothing but respect between the two teams. That fact was clearest in the way in which the Chiefs’ signal caller, Patrick Mahomes, interacted with defeated Bengals QB, Joe Burrow. Indeed, Mahomes sought out Burrow following the final whistle, after which the pair spoke openly of their respect for each other.

“Many more, dog, many more,” Mahomes said as he hugged Burrow, seemingly alluding to the idea that the Bengals QB will in fact be competing for titles again. “Hell of a game. You have a hell of a career dog.” Despite his clear disappointment about the loss, Burrow could only speak in kind. “You too, brother,” Burrow said. “Go win it now.”

Burrow vs Mahomes: A Rivalry in the Making

Like the aforementioned Brady and Manning, Mahomes and Burrow are quite frankly this generation’s version of a truly great quarterback rivalry. In total, Brady and Manning faced each other five times in the playoffs, with the Brady’s Patriots besting Manning’s Colts on two occasions (2003 and 2004 playoffs), before Manning finally got his revenge in the 2006 AFC Championship Game. Incidentally, when it came to the conference title game, Manning actually had the better record at 3-1 - between the Colts and Broncos. At any rate, the respect between the two men was always clear to see. Consider for a moment, that Manning invited Brady to his 2021 Hall of Fame induction.

This is all to say, that we’re now witnessing the development of a similar relationship between Burrow and Mahomes. Indeed, when asked for his thoughts on the reason behind the Bengals’ success against his team back in Week 13, Mahomes spoke of Joe Burrow first. “First off, they have a great quarterback, and a guy who’s won a lot of football games, even if that was in college, and now he’s won a lot of football games in the NFL,” Mahomes said at the time. “He’s someone that competes to the very end, too.”

Burrow vs Mahomes: The Breakdown

It’s hard not feel bad for Burrow, following his performance in the AFC Championship Game. Trailing 13-3, Burrow went on a mission which included a highlight reel 35-yard completion to the Bengals’ other star, Ja’Marr Chase on a fourth-down play. Truth be told, one could have been forgiven for thinking the Bengals were going to advance to the Super Bowl at that point. Sadly - for Burrow and Co. at least - fate and the Chiefs had other plans. Following a Chris Jones sack on Burrow, the Chiefs took over the show and with that, Mahomes went on a brave scramble to set up the Kansas City’s game-winning field goal.

At this point, both Mahomes and Burrow are in their prime at 27 and 26-years-old respectively. Not only that, but they’ve already played in four sensational games against each other, including two conference title games. Ultimately, these two young guns still have a way to go before they can be compared to the legends of eras gone, but rest assured, they’re not far off. Assuming they can both continue to perform at the level they’ve demonstrated, then we’re all in for a treat in the seasons to come. The Chiefs are an established powerhouse, while the Bengals have recently arrived in town. If both franchises are to continue to compete for titles, it will mean building around their quarterbacks. On the other hand, both teams have got the best QBs to build around for the future.