Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen share a surprising distinction NFL quarterbacks would rather avoid
Mahomes and Allen have had the most interceptions in the NFL over the last five seasons
The new NFL season is ready and among quarterbacks, no rookies will start in Week 1, but five teams will feature a new signal-caller to begin the season, including Malik Willis in Miami, Geno Smith with the Jets, Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, Kyler Murray in Minnesota, and Tua Tagovailoa in Atlanta.
Furthermore, only 10 of the 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 1 have been with their current teams for more than five seasons, showing how fast the league moves without many noticing.
The Cost of Aggression: Turnover Trends for AFC Superstars
What remains entirely consistent, however, is that as long as the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs feature Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes under center, both franchises remain premier contenders in the AFC .
Alongside Lamar Jackson, they anchor the conference as the signal-callers with the most consecutive Week 1 starts , entering their ninth straight campaigns at the helm of their respective teams.
Yet, such sustained volume and aggressive play-styles naturally breed high-risk moments; across the last five seasons starting from 2021, Josh Allen leads the NFL with 63 interceptions , closely followed by Patrick Mahomes with 61 picks , totals both elite competitors would undoubtedly prefer to reduce.
Right behind them on that list sit Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence , each with 58 turnovers . Much of this accumulation stems from sheer durability and snap counts, as Allen has logged the most games played of any quarterback since 2021 with 84 appearances , trailed closely by Jared Goff (82), alongside Mahomes and Justin Herbert with 80 games apiece.
The Elite Output Balancing Out the Risk
Fortunately for their respective front offices, Mahomes and Allen offset those turnovers by producing at an unprecedented clip, sharing the league high with 153 passing touchdowns each since 2021 .
Furthermore, Mahomes commands the top spot in total passing yards over that span with 21,787 yards , while Allen ranks fourth with 20,395 yards , positioned just behind Jared Goff ( 21,451 yards ) and Justin Herbert ( 20,484 yards ).
With Mahomes locked in as the unquestioned starter after bouncing back from his previous season-ending injury, and Allen maintaining a top-five position in MVP voting over the past four consecutive years, the prospect of another postseason collision between Kansas City and Buffalo feels almost inevitable.
Even if the playoff brackets fall differently, fans will get a front-row seat to their rivalry at the Bills' brand-new stadium for a blockbuster Thursday Night Football showdown on Thanksgiving , a magnificent mid-season gift courtesy of the 2026 NFL schedule makers.
