Whatever else happens in his career, remember this version of Patrick Mahomes.

He is 27. He has won two Super Bowls and played in three. He is the best quarterback in the NFL. He is the most valuable player in the NFL, if the word "valuable" is to continue to hold meaning.

Will he prove to be the best quarterback of all time?

That will require health, luck, coaching, general managing, savvy drafting and many other factors out of his control.

Even if all goes right in his world for the next 10 or 15 years, he might never match Tom Brady's statistical or championship totals.

That's why we should always remember what Mahomes did on Sunday night in Arizona, when he led the Kansas City Chiefs to a come-from-behind, one-legged 38-35 victory over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII.

Playing on a sprained ankle that bothered him enough late in the first half that backup quarterback Chad Henne began preparing to go in the game, Mahomes didn't miss a snap, overcame an underwhelming first half and a 24-14 deficit, and led Kansas City to a victory over a team with a deeper roster.

In the second half, Mahomes completed 13 of 14 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chiefs scored on each of their second-half drives.

Against one of the most prolific pass rushes in NFL history, Mahomes did not take a sack or throw an interception.

And he made the key play of the game on that bad ankle, running 26 yards down the middle to set up the game-winning field goal.

Mahomes defeated an excellent San Francisco team in his first Super Bowl, lost to Tom Brady and an excellent Bucs team in his second Super Bowl, and beat the most complete team in the NFL in his third.

His Super Bowl loss was probably due as much to his offensive line's injuries as to any other factor.

Sunday, Mahomes had to resort to his usual heroics because the other team had a similarly dynamic quarterback.

Hurts set Super Bowl records for passing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He produced three touchdowns and a two-point conversion on the ground and threw a long touchdown pass to A.J. Brown for the Eagles' other offensive scores.

Hurts was probably the NFL's most valuable player until he was injured late in the season. Mahomes surged past him while he was out, as Mahomes set a record for quarterback yards from scrimmage.

This was as good a matchup of quarterbacks as you could hope to see.

Hurts is more than good enough to win a Super Bowl. And he probably would have against any other quarterback.

Speaking of luck, the Chiefs returned a Hurts fumble for a touchdown in the first half, when they were otherwise offensively inept. Mahomes had nothing to do with that play, but he benefited from it. That's why judging individuals in team sports can be difficult.

Stick with the big picture here. The Chiefs traded away Mahomes' best receiver, Tyreek Hill, and Mahomes earned a No. 1 seed and won the Super Bowl with only one standout skill position player on his roster — tight end Travis Kelce.

There is no better definition of a franchise quarterback than one who can win it all by making a bunch of random players better.

Because of Mahomes, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Skyy Moore, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson are champions.

"MVP," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes after the game.

"Most Valuable Pat," Kelce said.

Will Mahomes prove himself the greatest quarterback in NFL history?

Last week, LeBron James became the NBA's leading all-time scorer. He's won titles with three franchises. He's an exceptional passer, defender and thinker. And you're free to think that Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan or Oscar Robertson was better.

What's certain about Mahomes' legacy is this: Give him a jar of mud and a soup spoon, he can paint a masterpiece.

The Star Tribune did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the game.