The Patrick Mahomes Disrespect May Have Just Reached Its Peak

In the dog days of the NFL offseason, it's only natural for there to be plenty of debates to fill time until games are played again. Of course, the quarterback position is at the forefront of those conversations, particularly regarding some of the best in the business.

For a few years now, some have wondered whether Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes remains the No. 1 signal-caller in the sport. It might just be a fair question after another down season and an ACL injury that remains the story of the team's summer. Even if Mahomes is back for Week 1, many task him with maintaining his previous level of play and then finding a way to improve.

National media pundits and local fan bases alike seem eager to dethrone Mahomes. After all, he hasn't won an MVP award since the 2022-23 campaign and hasn't won a Super Bowl since the 2023-24 one. His numbers aren't the same as they used to be, either. That, paired with the ascension of Buffalo Bills standout Josh Allen, leaves No. 15 in an interesting spot.

With that said, a recent assessment of Mahomes' standing compared to the rest of the quarterbacks field is nothing short of shocking. In many ways, the take from one individual is irresponsible.

As it does every July, ESPN is revealing the results of its position-specific surveys from league executives, coaches and scouts. The quarterback edition came out on Monday, with Mahomes occupying the second spot behind Allen himself. As established, that's far from the worst part of it.

The three-time world champion's lowest ranking, ninth, nearly saw him fall out of the top 10. Even the strongest of Mahomes detractors would typically disagree with such a sentiment; the fact that someone in the league thinks this lowly of an undeniably great player is jaw-dropping and head-scratching.

Statistically, is there any way to make this case? In 46 regular-season games over the last three seasons, Mahomes has compiled nearly 11,700 passing yards with 75 touchdowns and 36 interceptions to boot. Sure, a 92.0 passer rating is nothing superb, but it's respectable at the very least. Let's compare that output to some of the other names on ESPN's list:

Name	Passing Yards	TDs	INTs	Rating
Josh Allen	11,705	82	34	98.1
Matthew Stafford	12,434	90	27	99.0
Joe Burrow	9,036	75	20	101.9
Lamar Jackson	10,399	86	18	109.5
Dak Prescott	11,046	77	27	99.4
Justin Herbert	10,731	69	23	96.4
Jared Goff	13,768	101	32	104.8

If there's a statistical reason for Mahomes being so low, why isn't Goff or Jackson the top player on the list instead of Allen? Mileage across the board for advanced metrics also varies. Per SumerSports, among field generals with 100 or more snaps last year, Mahomes was seventh in EPA per play with 0.16. That's without even diving into scrambling; Mahomes' 29.16 total rush EPA was fourth. He was the Chiefs' offense.

Per the survey, one defensive coach said Mahomes "struggled" prior to getting hurt last season and spent too much time chasing big plays and forcing the issue. At the same time, he said K.C. was a three-win club minus the future Hall of Fame man.

Assuming it isn't strictly a volume-based justification, is it about accomplishments? Mahomes has no MVPs in the aforementioned stretch, but he's reached a pair of Super Bowls and won one of them. Allen and Jackson have never reached the big game, Burrow and Stafford's appearances are outdated (Stafford's Los Angeles Rams beat Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals in 2022) and the remainder of that group consists of infamous big-game shortcomers.

If someone doesn't have Mahomes ahead of Allen, who's playing at his peak and also doesn't benefit from as much organizational assistance as others, fine. There's at least a mostly logical path to that conclusion.

In no circumstance, however, is it reasonable to put the face of the Chiefs (and perhaps the NFL) behind eight other players at his position. His blend of mental acuity, physical traits, clutch prowess and sheer competitive drive makes him one of the greatest ever. Until proven otherwise, that didn't evaporate as the result of a knee injury.

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