July marks a quiet period in the NFL calendar, falling between the end of the draft and the start of training camps. This time often breeds recycled discussions about league players, notably the debate surrounding Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. For the past five years, arguments over which player ranks as the best in the league have been persistent.
This week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released his annual quarterback rankings, compiled from surveys with NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. In a notable change, Allen secured the top position, while Mahomes was ranked second, reversing last year’s standings.
Mahomes, known for channeling perceived slights into motivation akin to Michael Jordan, remains publicly unfazed by the rankings. The two-time NFL MVP and a three-time Super Bowl champion expressed contentment with the position during an interview with “Yahoo! Sports Daily” on Wednesday, July 15.
“I mean, you understand it, coming off injury,” Mahomes commented. “We didn’t play as well as we wanted to the last few years. You’re gonna drop in the rankings of some sort, but at the same time, there’s a lot of good quarterbacks on that list. I’m just happy to be a part of it. You have to go out and prove it every single year, so it’s my job this year to prove why I can jump up in the list back to No. 1.”
Mahomes dealt with a torn ACL and LCL, leading to season-ending surgery last December. The Chiefs, after appearing in three consecutive Super Bowls, faltered to a 6-11 record, marking the first playoff absence since 2014.
The Chiefs’ season faced difficulties starting from Week 9 against Buffalo. At the time, Kansas City held a 5-3 record while the Bills stood at 5-2. Buffalo proved dominant, defeating Kansas City 28-21, and subsequently, the Chiefs went 1-8 in following games. Despite an atypical season for Kansas City, Allen and the Bills showcased their strength in regular season match-ups, while Mahomes has won every playoff encounter against Allen.
In the interview with Yahoo!, Mahomes outlined his recovery goal, aiming to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. He anticipates being fully prepared when the Chiefs face Buffalo again on Thanksgiving.
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