After ending a 50-year Super Bowl drought in 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs have established themselves as the NFL’s latest dynasty. Since 2018, this franchise has taken that good-to-great jump and is now a title contender on an annual basis. During this period, the Chiefs have made it to seven straight AFC championships, played in five Super Bowls, and won it all three times.
There have been plenty of contributors on this run, but the one constant that has elevated the franchise to new heights is quarterback Patrick Mahomes. At just 29 years old, the former No. 10 overall pick is already featured in greatest-of-all-time debates with Tom Brady.
Mahomes has racked up two regular-season MVP awards and three Super Bowl MVPs in his first-ballot Hall of Fame career. Over the past few regular seasons, however, the star QB has seen a slight dip in his regular-season stats. In 2024, Mahomes threw for 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, compiling a QBR that ranked eighth overall.
Those metrics are still very solid but pale compared to some other top players under center. According to Brad Gagnon, a national writer for Bleacher Report, that drop in production is enough to rank Mahomes as the fourth-best quarterback in the NFL, behind the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow. Gagnon went into detail on the reason for his controversial list.
“On paper, Mahomes has been a mediocre quarterback since the start of the 2023 season. So, why is he still ranked fourth on this list? Well, as one of the most accomplished and talented players in NFL history, he still gets some benefit of the doubt. And it helps that the two-time MVP has saved himself over and over again.
The 29-year-old led an NFL-best five fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives in 2024 alone, he posted a 110.4 passer rating on third down, and he again found a way to get the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Eventually, even that stuff won’t be enough. Let’s see if Mahomes can bounce back in his age-30 season and maintain his spot among the top tier.”
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Overall, it’s about winning games, and going into a playoff-like setting, Patrick Mahomes stands atop the quarterback mountain at the moment. His regular season stats could be better, but despite their flaws, the Chiefs went 15-2 overall and won a third straight AFC Championship last season. Mahomes, even at his worst, is a top-2 quarterback.
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