Patrick Mahomes drops to No. 2 as Josh Allen claims the top spot in ESPN’s 2026 NFL QB poll of coaches and execs. Here’s what happened and what Mahomes said.
For the first time in three years, Patrick Mahomes is not the number one quarterback in the NFL — at least not according to the people who coach and run the league.
ESPN’s annual poll of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts — compiled by Jeremy Fowler — dropped Mahomes to second place for the 2026 season, with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen claiming the top spot. And here’s the thing: Mahomes himself isn’t arguing with it.
This one is worth paying attention to. Not because one preseason poll defines anything — it doesn’t — but because of what it says about where both of these quarterbacks are heading into one of the most anticipated NFL seasons in years.
What the ESPN Poll Actually Said
Every offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler surveys NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the league’s top quarterbacks. It’s one of the most respected internal polls in the sport because it comes from the people actually game-planning against these players — not fans, not TV analysts.
For the 2026 edition, Josh Allen earned more overall support across the league, with one NFL general manager calling him “the most singularly unstoppable player at the position when you get his A-game.” Executives also pointed to Allen’s improved ball security over the past two seasons, while coaches praised his ability to elevate teammates and thrive within Joe Brady’s offense.
Mahomes led this list for three consecutive seasons, but after three consecutive seasons of subpar production by his standards, he relinquished his crown for at least one year, despite leading all quarterbacks in first-place votes. His average rank of 2.19 per ballot was just short of Allen’s, with more voters than usual keeping him out of their top three — about 15%.
That last detail is worth sitting with. Mahomes still got the most first-place votes. The people who think he’s the best still think he’s the best. But enough voters dropped him further down their ballots that Allen edged him in the overall average. It’s genuinely close — and that closeness matters.
What Mahomes Said About It
Mahomes isn’t storming around about this. That’s not really his style anyway, but it’s still worth noting how measured his response was.
“You understand it.” 🤷
.@PatrickMahomes isn’t bothered by being ranked as the NFL’s No. 2 quarterback.
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/HRqrrzWb9J
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 15, 2026
Speaking to Yahoo Sports Daily, Mahomes said: “You understand it. Coming off injury, and we didn’t play as well as we wanted to the last few years, you’re gonna drop in the rankings of some sort. But at the same time, there’s a lot of good quarterbacks on that list, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
That’s not a man rattled by a poll. That’s a three-time Super Bowl champion who knows exactly where he stands historically and isn’t going to let a July survey get under his skin.
Even as Mahomes accepted his current ranking, his motivation heading into 2026 remains unchanged — and he’s made it clear he believes he can jump back up. His exact words on that point? “I can jump up.” Short, simple, and the kind of thing that sounds better coming from someone with three Super Bowl rings than it would from basically anyone else on that list.
Why the Drop Makes Sense
The ranking isn’t disrespectful. It’s just honest.
Over the last three years, Mahomes has ranked 9th, 10th, and 11th on PFN’s QB Impact Metric, dropping one spot each season — nowhere near the two top-4 finishes Allen posted in that same timeframe.
That’s a real trend, and it’s not explained away by one bad game or one bad month. Three consecutive years of declining impact metrics, coming off an ACL injury that cut his 2025 season short, with question marks still hanging over the Chiefs’ wide receiver group heading into 2026 — the voters had legitimate reasons for the shift.
The Chiefs upgraded their supporting cast this offseason, but there are still several question marks, particularly at the wide receiver position. Add in the ACL injury, and it’s fair to wonder how productive Mahomes will be in 2026.
None of that means Mahomes is declining in any permanent sense. It means he had a rough stretch and is coming off major surgery. Context matters.
The Case for Josh Allen at Number One
Allen has been building toward this for a while.
He’s always been an athletic freak — the combination of arm talent and running ability that makes him nearly impossible to defend when he’s on. What’s changed over the past two seasons is the decision-making. Early in his career, Allen’s turnover numbers were a genuine concern. He’s cleaned that up considerably, and the voters noticed.
One NFL general manager noted Allen’s improved ball security over the past two seasons as a key factor, alongside his ability to elevate teammates and operate effectively within Joe Brady’s offensive system.
The Bills have also put a serious roster around him. When Allen is playing at his peak with a complete team behind him, the argument for him being the most dangerous quarterback in football right now is legitimate — not a hot take, not a narrative push, but a reasonable football conclusion based on recent performance.
Allen is the best quarterback right now — but Mahomes can regain that. And that’s exactly what Mahomes says is the goal.
Where the Rest of the Top 10 Landed
The Mahomes vs. Allen debate dominated the headlines, but the full poll had other interesting results worth noting.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the broader poll showed Matthew Stafford drawing nearly 20% of first-place votes — a surprising level of support that signals how much respect he commands league-wide. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson were seen as fighting for the same tier, Dak Prescott moved significantly upward, and the league still can’t quit Justin Herbert despite his inconsistencies. Caleb Williams also earned recognition as an emerging name to watch.
That Stafford number is genuinely surprising. Nearly one in five voters put him first overall — which says something about how the Rams’ offense has been viewed recently. And Prescott jumping up significantly reflects the Cowboys’ offensive investment paying off in perception, if not always in results.
Can Mahomes Get Back to Number One?
Almost certainly — if he stays healthy.
The ACL is the main unknown. Coming back from a torn ACL at the NFL level is never a simple process, and the 2026 season will tell us a lot about where Mahomes actually is physically. The mental side has never been a question with him. The physical recovery is the variable that nobody outside the Chiefs’ medical staff can fully assess from the outside.
If Mahomes returns healthy and the Chiefs find their footing at wide receiver — two significant ifs — there’s no reason he can’t put up the kind of season that makes this poll look premature by January. He’s done it before. Multiple times. After slower stretches that had people questioning whether the window was closing.
The difference now is that Josh Allen is genuinely good enough to hold that number one spot even if Mahomes does have a strong bounce-back year. This isn’t a situation where Mahomes drops back to number one by default because nobody else stepped up. Allen earned this ranking. Keeping it is going to require Mahomes to actually earn it back.
That’s a more interesting NFL at the quarterback position than we’ve had in a while.
Patrick Mahomes is ranked second behind Josh Allen in ESPN’s 2026 NFL quarterback poll of coaches and executives — and he’s not making excuses about it. Coming off an ACL injury, after three seasons of declining statistical impact, the drop is fair. Mahomes knows it, said it himself, and has already framed 2026 as the season to reclaim the top spot.
Whether he gets there depends on his recovery, the Chiefs’ supporting cast, and whether Josh Allen keeps doing what he’s been doing. All of that plays out starting in September. For now, the quarterback conversation heading into 2026 is more competitive than it’s been in years — and that’s good for everyone watching.