Patrick Mahomes accepts No. 2 QB ranking, vows to reclaim top spot

Patrick Mahomes has taken the No. 2 spot in ESPN’s annual quarterback rankings with typical grace, framing the slight as motivation to return to form after a brutal 2025 season marred by injury and missed playoffs.

What happened?

On July 15, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released his 2025 quarterback rankings, compiled from a survey of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen claimed the top spot, while Mahomes slid to No. 2-a reversal from 2024’s list. The rankings arrived amid the NFL’s quiet summer stretch between the draft and training camp, a period notorious for recycled debates over who sits atop the league’s quarterback hierarchy.

Mahomes, speaking on *Yahoo! Sports Daily*, acknowledged the drop but refused to dwell on it. “You understand it, coming off injury,” he said. “We didn’t play as well as we wanted to the last few years. You’re gonna drop in the rankings of some sort.”

Why it matters for Patrick Mahomes

The 2025 season was a stark departure for the Kansas City Chiefs, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 with a 6-11 record. Mahomes’ absence loomed large: he underwent season-ending surgery in December 2024 to repair a torn ACL and LCL, sidelining him for the Chiefs’ late-season collapse.

The Chiefs’ downward spiral accelerated in Week 9, when Allen and the Bills dismantled them 28-21 in Buffalo. Allen now leads their regular-season series 5-1, though Mahomes holds a perfect 4-0 playoff record against Allen’s Bills. The loss in Buffalo marked the turning point for a Chiefs team that had reached three straight Super Bowls.

Mahomes’ public reaction contrasts with his reputation for turning perceived slights into fuel. The two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion-who also earned three Super Bowl MVPs-showed no outward frustration, instead focusing on the work ahead.

What comes next?

Mahomes’ immediate goal is a Week 1 return against the Denver Broncos, which would put him on track to face the Bills again on Thanksgiving. His timeline hinges on a full recovery from the ACL/LCL tear, a process he’s treating with urgency.

“You have to go out and prove it every single year,” Mahomes said. “It’s my job this year to prove why I can jump up in the list back to No. 1.”

The Chiefs’ offseason roster overhaul-including key departures-adds pressure to Mahomes’ comeback. Yet his response to the rankings suggests he’s channeling the snub into preparation, not frustration. With Allen atop the list, the narrative for 2025 is set: a two-man race for QB supremacy, with Mahomes hunting his fourth ring and a return to the summit.

The bigger picture

The rankings reflect a league in flux, where even all-time greats like Mahomes face fresh scrutiny after down years. His willingness to accept the No. 2 label publicly contrasts with eras when quarterbacks bristled at perceived rankings injustices.

For Chiefs fans, the rankings serve as a reminder: Mahomes’ 2025 absence wasn’t just an injury story-it was the difference between playoff contention and irrelevance. His recovery and return will define whether the slide was a blip or the start of a new chapter.