Patrick Mahomes is used to being the best. For three straight years, ESPN’s annual quarterback rankings had him sitting alone at the top. But when this year’s list dropped, the usual order got flipped. Josh Allen grabbed the No. 1 spot, and Mahomes slid to No. 2. And honestly? He’s not that surprised.
Mahomes spoke about the ranking Wednesday on Yahoo Sports Daily, and he didn’t sound bitter. He sounded realistic.
“Yeah I mean you understand it. Coming off injury and we didn’t play as well as we wanted to the last few years,” Mahomes said. “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.”
The ranking wasn’t some landslide. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke down the voting. Mahomes actually got more first-place votes than Allen — 41.5 percent to 34.1 percent. But Allen’s average ranking per ballot (2.10) was better than Mahomes’ number, which is why the Chiefs quarterback fell to second overall.
A Down Year in 2025
Mahomes had what you’d call his worst season as a starter last year. He threw for 3,587 yards with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Solid numbers for most quarterbacks, but not the standard he set. And he missed the final three games after tearing his ACL.
The injury recovery combined with uneven play made the drop in the rankings feel inevitable. Mahomes knows it. He understands that in this league, nobody gets to live off reputation forever.
“You’ve got to go 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 number one,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs are hoping to get Mahomes back for the start of training camp. That’s been the plan since the injury, and so far nothing has changed. The team hasn’t confirmed a specific timeline, but the expectation is he’ll be on the field when camp opens later this month.
What Happens Next
There’s a real urgency around Kansas City heading into 2026. The Chiefs have been the team to beat for years, but Mahomes’ injury and Allen’s rise have shifted the conversation. People want to see if Mahomes can look like his old self again. Not the version who struggled through 2025, but the guy who made the league look silly on a weekly basis.
Training camp will be the first real test. If Mahomes moves well and the arm looks sharp, the talk around the league will change fast. If he’s rusty or cautious, the questions will keep coming. Either way, he seems ready to answer them.
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