Brady's dismissive attitude made his stance crystal clear: Lance wasn't worth his attention. On the flip side, Lance's unwavering confidence seemed to signal his intent to topple the veteran's throne.
What once seemed like a ridiculous notion had become a reality.
Reporters were stunned. The sheer absurdity of this emerging showdown left them momentarily speechless. Even the most seasoned journalists found themselves at a loss for how to react.
Adam Guterres, frozen in place, felt his fingertips go numb. The magnitude of the moment was so overwhelming that he failed to react in time as Lance and Mahomes walked away, unscathed.
Then, it hit him—like a lightning strike.
The blood in his veins ignited.
And it wasn't just Guterres; the entire media corps was ablaze.
The news took flight, reaching the New England Patriots training camp in no time, landing squarely in front of Brady.
Brady, however, wasn't angry. He didn't need to be.
A rookie. A running back.
It simply wasn't worth his time.
If Brady had to respond to every such challenge, he'd have no time for football.
He knew that in the age of social media, anyone and everyone could air their opinions. Wild imaginings, delusions of grandeur, and naïve challenges were part of the game. To him, they were little more than mosquito bites—annoying but insignificant.
When reporters emphasized that Lance had claimed not to recognize the five-time Super Bowl champion, Brady laughed.
When Brady donned his fifth Super Bowl ring, Lance was probably still figuring out how to handle his first college championship.
"How ridiculous," he muttered.
In Brady's mind, there was no one in the NFL who didn't know who he was.
"Welcome," Brady quipped casually. That was all he had to say.
To Brady, Lance's antics were like those of a child threatening to knock over an adult. If Brady entertained such provocations, it would make him the fool.
Looking forward to a thrilling matchup?
Fine. No problem. Football was a team sport, after all. A rookie's foolishness didn't necessarily reflect the competence of his team.
And, Brady thought, everyone had the right to their delusions. Stripping people of their daydreams would just be cruel.
But the reporters weren't letting up.
"So, Tom, do you think he actually has a chance against you?"
Brady laughed. He genuinely laughed, probably for the first time in 2017.
"That's what everyone hopes for, isn't it?"
Then, his laughter ceased, and his expression turned stone-cold.
"But they won't succeed."
"They can hope all they want, but they're destined to fail."
With those words, Brady reaffirmed his dominance as the league's undisputed leader, shutting down the media circus with ease.
"Brady eyes another championship."
"The GOAT issues a league-wide challenge."
"Brady ready to face all comers, coolly dismisses rookie taunts."
The headlines spun out of control.
Once again, things escalated.
The media thrived on the chaos, adding just enough fuel to keep the flames roaring. The hype wave swept across the league, dragging everyone into its current.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell couldn't have been happier.
Behind the scenes, Goodell's master plan finally became clear.
The NFL's 2017 schedule reveal had already set the stage:
New England Patriots vs. Kansas City Chiefs.
Boom. A league-wide eruption.
Like it or not, the showdown everyone had been mocking was now a reality.
"Rookie vs. GOAT," the most talked-about matchup of the year, was about to unfold. Goodell had played his cards brilliantly.
To be fair, the NFL schedule wasn't easy to manipulate.
The league's regular season spans 17 weeks, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. The rules for scheduling are stringent:
1. Each team plays its three division rivals twice (home and away), for a total of six games.
2. Each team plays all four teams from one division within its conference (rotating every three years), two at home and two away, for four games.
3. Each team plays all four teams from one division in the opposite conference (rotating every four years), two at home and two away, for four games.
4. Each team plays two additional games against teams from the remaining two divisions in its conference that finished in the same place in the standings the previous year, one at home and one away.
That's 16 games total.
For example, the Chiefs, as the AFC West champions from the previous season, would face:
The AFC East (rotating division)
The NFC East (rotating division)
The AFC South and AFC North champions
Their divisional opponents twice
Given these constraints, non-divisional matchups between certain teams can be rare. Yet, somehow, Goodell had made it happen.
Perhaps his plan had been set in motion the moment the Chiefs stunned everyone by selecting Lance third overall in the draft.
Goodell had orchestrated an elaborate chess game, and the pieces were finally in place.
The league was watching Lance.
Could he make the 53-man roster?
Would he see significant playing time in the regular season?
Could he handle the physicality of professional football?
Would his performance validate the value of drafting running backs high?
Lance, the rookie drafted third overall, had become the NFL's biggest storyline heading into the season. Some hoped for his success, while others eagerly awaited his failure.
Ordinarily, answers to these questions would take three to five games to surface. But now? The league wouldn't have to wait that long.
Because in the season opener, Lance would face none other than the league's reigning king—Tom Brady.
"Rookie vs. GOAT," a once-laughable premise, was about to become a reality.
The popcorn was ready. The fans were roaring. The stage was set.
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