Jeremy Fowler revealed that NFL “league executives, coaches and scouts” surveyed by ESPN ranked Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen as the top quarterback in the league ahead of the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs led the list for three consecutive campaigns before he fell to the No. 2 spot this summer.
During Wednesday’s edition of the “Yahoo Sports Daily” program, Mahomes reacted to the quarterback power rankings that generated discussions among media members and fans during what is often a quiet time of the sports year.
Patrick Mahomes understands not being ranked as the league’s top quarterback
“You understand it,” Mahomes explained, per Julia Stumbaugh of Bleacher Report. “Coming off injury, and 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, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and torn LCL this past December. While he has repeatedly made it known that he wants to play in Kansas City’s season-opening “Monday Night Football” home game versus the rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, it is unclear when his status for that matchup will be confirmed.
As for the Chiefs, they are coming off a 6-11 campaign and may have to rely on offseason acquisition Justin Fields to serve as a temporary QB1 if Mahomes isn’t cleared by Labor Day. Meanwhile, Mahomes sounds eager to play at a level that will result in his leapfrogging Allen on ranking lists roughly 12 months from now.
Patrick Mahomes feels he has plenty to prove later this year
“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 on the list back to No. 1,” Mahomes added.
On paper, a three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player having something “to prove” is quite a dangerous player. That said, there will remain far more questions than answers regarding what Mahomes will offer the 2026 Chiefs until he takes the field for a meaningful game later this year.
