The epic Super Bowl matchup between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes is no contest

It was billed as the Greatest of All Time against the Greatest of Today.

Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes promised to be epic. It promised the two finest quarterbacks from different generations vying for the NFL championship at the end of the league’s -- and perhaps the planet’s -- most challenging year.

And with Super Bowl LV now over, there remains no doubt to whom the synonyms for preeminence and highest standing among quarterback royalty belongs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31.

Kansas City Chiefs 9.

Tom Brady, 43 years and 188-days-old, remains on the quarterback throne.

Indeed, that throne seemingly carries his name now. Because the present, like the past two decades, continues to belong to him.

Mahomes, dynamic as he is and a Super Bowl champion a year ago when he helped defeat Brady’s one-time backup, found no similar magic against the king. If he is ever to be in Brady’s company when NFL history is written, it’ll be because of what he does in the future rather than what he did with this opportunity.

Brady completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He was selected this game’s MVP.

It is his fifth Super Bowl MVP award when he was the only one to ever be that four times.

“How ‘bout that!” Brady yelled as he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft. “I’m so proud of all these guys out here. All we dealt with this year. We had a rough month of November...

“But I think we knew this was going to happen, didn’t we?”

Brady did this in Week 21.

Of Season 21.

He did this after he played every game. After he practiced every day.

And you wonder why he’s a champion for the ages?

This was Brady’s tenth Super Bowl. But this isn’t about championship appearances. Good-not-great athletes have enjoyed many championship appearances. Derek Fisher and Michael Cooper had eight in the NBA. So did Andy Pettitte in the major leagues.

This is about performing in those appearances. Leading in those appearances.

Winning in those appearances.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers have been among the NFL’s great dynasties and are definitely among the league’s elite. Brady has won more Super Bowl championships than any of those franchises.

They’ve won six.

Brady now has won seven.

Brady didn’t back into this or go along for the ride to this latest championship. He beat Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs to get here.

Then he beat Mahomes, who remains supremely talented despite a rough outing, to seal the deal.

And please understand that at an age when other professional football players are long done playing and are growing bellies, Brady is still growing his legacy.

He did that by leading the Buccaneers offense rather than playing a secondary role with the unit.

Consider that Tampa Bay scored three touchdowns in the first half. All three came on Brady passes.

Consider that Brady threw two touchdowns to long-time target Rob Gronkowski. But the last of those three touchdowns, a 1-yard completion to Antonio Brown, was on a play that Brady has run with his receivers for decades.

It was a quick out and pivot back inside for the easy score. And Brady threw it on target to Brown just as he had in past Super Bowls to Julian Edelman and Wes Welker years ago.

Same route.

Same quarterback.

Same result.

Brady delivered an unprecedented half. He completed 16 of 20 passes that half and, combined with his touchdowns, it marked the first time a quarterback has completed 80 percent of his passes and three touchdown throws in Super Bowl half.

Amazingly, the Brady effect reached well beyond the statistics. Because not only was he throwing touchdowns and getting the Buccaneers in the end zone, but the players making plays for him were doing it, well, because of him.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski scored two touchdowns. He came out of retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa this season.

Brown scored a touchdown. He was seemingly retired or suspended or uninterested in playing again until he saw an opportunity to play with Brady. So he joined the Bucs late in the season.

And running back Leonard Fournette, who scored on a 27-yard run, had multiple suitors when he was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars. And, yes, the Dolphins were interested.

But Fournette wanted to play with, you guessed it, Tom Brady.

So are you ready for the truly incredible possibility?

Brady has shown no desire to retire. And he might be better next year.

Because what he did this year happened with new coaches and new teammates and a new scheme. And he didn’t get quite comfortable with it all until late in the season.

The Buccaneers were 7-5 at one point in 2020. Coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, the players on offense and Brady didn’t hit their stride until after that. Then they won eight games in a row to finish out their season.

And next year, even at 44 years old, who’s going to bet Tom Brady cannot continue doing what he’s always done?