The Kansas City Chiefs know that the upcoming 2026 campaign is going to be very important for them. After missing the playoffs last year, the Chiefs are aiming to prove that they are still the team to beat in the NFL. Of course, those hopes are going to rely heavily on the status of Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered late last season.
All signs point to Mahomes progressing well in his recovery from this injury, with the hope being that he will be able to suit up for the team’s Week 1 action. Even before his injury, though, the Chiefs were in trouble, leading many to question Mahomes’ standing as the de facto No. 1 quarterback in the league. Entering the 2026 campaign, Mahomes has lost his grip on the top spot in ESPN’s latest quarterback rankings.
Patrick Mahomes Gets Beat Out by Josh Allen in Latest ESPN Quarterback Rankings
Mahomes took the NFL by storm after he became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. Not only was he putting up video game numbers, but Kansas City was also winning at an absurd clip. In each of his first seven seasons as a starter, Mahomes led his squad to at least the AFC Championship Game, with three of those runs yielding Super Bowl victories.
After throwing for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2022, Mahomes’ numbers have regressed over the past three seasons. His supporting cast hasn’t exactly helped him, but things reached a new low in 2025. In 14 games, Mahomes could only lead K.C. to six wins, and his numbers were the worst of his career (315/502, 3,587 YDS, 22 TD, 11 INT).
The Chiefs upgraded his supporting cast this offseason, but there are still several question marks, particularly at the wide receiver position. Add in his ACL injury, and it’s fair to wonder how productive Mahomes will be in 2026. The threat of his playmaking still looms, but for the first time since 2022, Mahomes isn’t entering the season as the top quarterback in the NFL in the eyes of folks across the league, with Buffalo Bills stud Josh Allen beating him out for the top spot.
“Mahomes led this list for three consecutive seasons … But after three consecutive seasons of subpar production (for his standards), Mahomes relinquishes his crown for at least one year, despite leading all QBs in first-place votes,” Jeremy Fowler wrote for ESPN. “His average rank of 2.19 per ballot was just short of Allen’s. More voters than usual kept him out of their top three (about 15%).”
Patrick Mahomes Has a Chip on His Shoulder Entering 2026 Campaign
GettyQuarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
For the first time in his NFL career, Mahomes is facing some real adversity. Again, he’s recovering from a serious injury, and the Chiefs didn’t even make the playoffs last year. People are doubting Mahomes, and while he’s stood tall in the face of adversity before, this is the biggest chip he has had on his shoulder since turning pro.
Nobody is doubting Mahomes’ skill, but Allen has become a more productive all-around player than him in recent years. That isn’t totally Mahomes’ fault, but it’s going to be up to him to prove these folks around the league wrong. Getting healthy is the first step, but once he gets back on the field, look for Mahomes to prove why he still deserves to be labeled the best quarterback in the league, even after his lackluster 2025 campaign.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Chiefs Fans Won’t Like Patrick Mahomes Ranking on Latest ESPN List appeared first on HEAVY.