NFL execs almost unanimous: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is No. 1 quarterback

On Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler continued his annual survey series with NFL quarterbacks. To come up with the rankings, Fowler polls the NFL’s top executives, coaches and scouts to create positional rankings.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco was named an honorable mention in the initial column released Monday, and Chris Jones earned the top spot for defensive tackles on Tuesday. After missing out on a representative for defensive ends on Wednesday, the Chiefs scored another honorable mention with Justin Reid on Thursday — and on Friday, tight end Travis Kelce narrowly topped the league’s tight ends.

It should be no surprise that, for a while, the league’s decision-makers have considered Mahomes among the league’s best. For the second consecutive year, Mahomes holds the top spot.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 2
Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 1

The gatekeepers of NFL greatness have begun chiseling Mahomes’ likeness onto their Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks.

Mahomes’ work is so undeniable that all but one voter considered him the league’s best quarterback. He’s one of three players in NFL history with three Super Bowls and two MVPs, joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana, quarterbacks who needed 11 and 12 years, respectively, to reach the feat.

Mahomes did it in seven, one of which (2017) was spent behind Alex Smith. During that span, Mahomes has 219 touchdown passes and 28,424 passing yards, the second most in NFL history for a passer’s first seven years.

“When it’s late in a meaningful game and Mahomes is playing, you just know he’s going to find a way to win,” an NFC executive said. “That’s the stage he’s at that a lot of the greats get to — they figure out how to win the game and get it done. The game’s slowed down for him in that way.”

No quarterback adjusts better than Mahomes, who has shown resolve through various challenges. In 2022, he offset the departure of Tyreek Hill by throwing 31 touchdown passes to running backs and tight ends, the most in a single season in the Super Bowl era.

Last year, he rallied an offense that had become lifeless — and low on dependable receivers — after a brutal loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, bettering his regular season QBR of 63.1 to an impressive 86.6 in four playoff games. His career-worst 14 interceptions weren’t a factor in the postseason, when Mahomes threw one interception to six touchdown passes.

Mahomes continues to find creative — and mobile — ways to win. His 14% sack rate when pressured was the second-lowest clip in the league behind Josh Allen.

When the San Francisco 49ers clamped down on passing lanes in the Super Bowl, Mahomes found yardage with his legs, with 66 yards on nine carries.

“What’s funny is he can still improve,” a high-ranking NFL official said. “He’s never truly improved his footwork since he’s been in the league. It hasn’t mattered because he’s so good.”

In 2023 — after leading the league in yards, touchdowns, touchdown rate and QBR in his 2022 MVP season — Mahomes turned his worst statistical season as a starter.

Fowler was charitable when he described last season’s Kansas City squad as “low on dependable receivers.” Still, the team went into its bye week 7-2 before things went sour, going 2-4 through Christmas Day.

Mahomes committed two turnovers on consecutive drives that day — both of them resulting in defensive touchdowns. To that point, Mahomes’ 16 turnovers were tied for sixth-most in the league.

“Anybody can be frustrated when they lose,” Mahomes told reporters after the game. “It’s just about how you respond.”

Sure… any NFL player can say that. But a relative few can do something about it. From that point forward, Mahomes’ leadership (along with teammates like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones) was the key difference.

“They just said, ‘Hey. We got to up our game,’” remembered head coach Andy Reid. “It wasn’t us as coaches jumping up and down on them. They took it within themselves to say, ‘We know what we are and can be. We’ve got to do it.’”

The team won six straight games — three on the road in the postseason — to claim its second consecutive NFL championship.

“There’s a grit to that,” noted Reid. “Maybe you’re not the most talented. Maybe you’re not the fastest or the quickest or whatever. But let’s go maximize what we are — and let the chips fall where they may.”

On the field, that starts with the league’s best quarterback.