NFL Quarterback Rankings Stir Debate: Mahomes and Allen Swap Spots

July often serves as a lull between the NFL draft and the start of training camp. However, it provides fertile ground for discussions, sometimes repetitive, within the football world. Recently, the focus has been strongly on the debate between Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen regarding who is the top player in the league.

This week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released his annual quarterback rankings. The rankings are derived from a survey involving NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. This year, Josh Allen secured the top position, while Patrick Mahomes landed in second place, a reversal from last year’s rankings.

Mahomes, recognized for his competitive spirit akin to Michael Jordan, often channels perceived slights into motivation. Despite this, the accomplished two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP expressed acceptance of his current ranking in public statements.

“I mean, you understand it, coming off injury,” Mahomes stated on “Yahoo! Sports Daily” on July 15. “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 underwent surgery following a torn ACL and LCL last December, which ended his season. The Chiefs, after three successive Super Bowl appearances, struggled to a 6-11 record and missed playoffs for the first time since 2014.

During the 2025 season, the Chiefs faced a significant setback when they played against Buffalo in Week 9. Prior to the game, the Chiefs held a 5-3 record, while the Bills were positioned at 5-2. Buffalo dominated Kansas City resulting in a 28-21 victory, pushing the Chiefs to a 1-8 record following that loss. Despite the unusual performance by the Chiefs, Allen led the Bills with consistent regular-season wins against Mahomes, having achieved a 5-1 record in their regular-season meetings. Conversely, Mahomes holds a 4-0 playoff record against Allen and the Bills.

As shared with Yahoo!, Mahomes aims to recover from injury in time for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, targeting a return to full strength by Thanksgiving when the Chiefs revisit Buffalo.