Glendale (United States) (AFP) - The Kansas City Chiefs' thrilling victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's Super Bowl was not just a fine advertisement for the modern NFL but it also signposted the future of the Patrick Mahomes era.
Mahomes cemented his status as the elite quarterback of the post-Tom Brady era after leading the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in four years, showing composure as well as resilience as he shrugged off an ankle injury to deliver a game-winning performance.
Many things will change in the league in the coming years but it is hard to envisage a future that doesn't feature Mahomes as a central protagonist.
Whether Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can maintain his presence in the elite is a more open question, but on Sunday he more than contributed to the spectacle with his ability to run with the ball, delivering three rushing touchdowns as well as a touchdown pass.
And while the 27-year-old Mahomes and Hurts, three years his junior, are very different quarterbacks in many aspects, they both have one quality that is likely to continue to grow in importance for quarterbacks -- mobility.
Brady, like his contemporary Peyton Manning, was a master of passing from the pocket, a quarterback who could read defenses, spot his opportunity and then deliver a perfectly weighted and directed pass.
Those qualities remain absolutely essential for any quarterback, but what made Sunday's game such compelling viewing, with barely a dull moment, was the willingness of both Mahomes and Hurts to move out of the pocket and make things happen.
The pair did so in significantly different ways.
Hurts rushed like a running back, surging forward with intent, strength and speed and his 70 yards on the ground were a record for a quarterback in the Super Bowl.
But unlike some other dual-threat quarterbacks of the past, Hurts is astute enough to know when to slide and avoid the crunchy tackles that increase risk of injuries.
Mahomes is nimble on his feet and has extraordinary awareness, using those gifts to scramble, finding himself space for a pass on the run or to make the yardage needed for a first down.
Second guessing
Those approaches make defenses second guess, provide uncertainty and open up possibilities across the field -- all of which adds to the unpredictability fans love.
There are no signs of NFL teams moving away from the trend towards mobile quarterbacks as this year's playoff contenders -- illustrated with Buffalo's Josh Allen, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers rookie Brock Purdy and Daniel Jones of the New York Giants -- are all able to scramble effectively.
It remains to be seen whether Hurts, for all his ability and impressive mindset, can build on his break-out season and become a consistent winner.
But Mahomes, now a two-time Most Valuable Player, is firmly at the top and has taken Brady's mantle as the face of the NFL.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid doesn't believe Mahomes will settle with what he has achieved so far.
"He strives to be the greatest.Without (him) saying anything, that is the way he works.He wants to be the greatest player ever," Reid said.
Taking that title from Brady, however, will require many more nights such as the one at State Farm Stadium.
Brady retired earlier this month at the age of 45 after stacking up a record seven Super Bowl wins during his record-shredding career with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mahomes isn't shying away from the challenge, though, and before Sunday's game he was open about his goal.
"I'm trying to catch Tom but Tom's a long ways away.You can ask me when I'm like 38 years old," he said.
"It's going to be tough.I mean, seven Super Bowl victories, 10 Super Bowls.There's a reason why he's so far ahead of everybody else.It's hard to do, but I'll do my best to chase it."
Whether he gets close to Brady or not, it promises to be fun to watch the chase.
