Patrick Mahomes’ ranking raises the biggest question in the NFL Top 100

P atrick Mahomes had missed only five games as an established full-time starter in the NFL before suffering a serious ACL and LCL ligament injury during Week 15 of last season against the Los Angeles Chargers. The setback represented the biggest physical challenge of his career for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, a future Hall of Famer, who had never previously dealt with an injury of that magnitude.

Although there were initial concerns that surgery could keep him sidelined for several weeks at the start of the season, Mahomes remains on a favorable timeline and is aiming to be ready for the season opener in Week 1 against the Broncos . Everything indicates he will not participate in the preseason as he continues his recovery process.

For years, Mahomes has been considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, even after a slight decline in his offensive numbers in recent seasons. However, the latest edition of the NFL Top 100 rankings surprised many by reflecting a significant drop in the Kansas City star’s evaluation.

The list revealed the players ranked between No. 20 and No. 17 on Wednesday, placing Mahomes at No. 18 , behind Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor . It is only the second time in his career that he has fallen outside the Top 10 and the first time since his rookie season.

Since he was not ranked during his second year, when he was the backup to Alex Smith , Mahomes had never finished outside the top 10. He was ranked No. 1 in the 2021 and 2023 editions, while also finishing inside the Top 5 in 2019, 2020, 2024, and 2025.

The quarterback is the fourth Chiefs player — and likely the final one — to appear on this year’s ranking. Before him, Creed Humphrey (No. 94) , Travis Kelce (No. 79) , and Chris Jones (No. 43) were included.

Although the drop in the rankings can spark debate, there are some arguments that support the decision. Mahomes’ touchdown rate has declined compared to his best seasons, and his overall statistics have not reached the dominant level he displayed from 2018 through 2022 .

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Still, names such as Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, and surprisingly Drake Maye have yet to appear on the list, meaning all of them will finish ahead of Mahomes.

However, rankings should always be taken with caution. When a game is on the line and the ball is in a quarterback’s hands in the fourth quarter, few players inspire more confidence than Mahomes. Even after a season below his own standards, he remains the player Chiefs fans want leading their offense in the biggest moments.