ESPN Survey Puts Josh Allen No. 1 Over Patrick Mahomes in Top 4 NFL QB Rankings

Q: With two young stars in the top 10, has the NFL's next quarterback generation arrived?

Yes — the next quarterback generation has arrived, though it has not fully taken over the top of the league yet. The clearest evidence is on ESPN’s 2026 rankings themselves. Drake Maye, 23, is No. 8 after a near-MVP season and Super Bowl run, and Caleb Williams, 24, is No. 10 after a major second-year jump that included six fourth-quarter comebacks and a sharp drop in sacks. That is not just promise; it is top-10 recognition from more than 70 executives, coaches and scouts evaluating who is best “right now.” The broader context supports that view. The position was described as much deeper than a year ago, with 15 quarterbacks appearing on at least 30% of ballots. Justin Herbert, still only 28, is already entrenched at No. 7, while Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence remain part of a strong under-30 pipeline even if they did not crack this year’s top 10. Recent rookie success across the league has also raised expectations for early quarterback impact. At the same time, the old guard still controls the very top. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, both 30, remain the standard, with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson still in their primes and Matthew Stafford coming off an MVP season. Maye and Williams have arrived as legitimate elite-tier candidates, but they are entering a crowded field rather than replacing it outright. So the handoff has begun. The next generation is here, but the full changing of the guard is still in progress.

Q: Do Patrick Mahomes' three Super Bowl rings make his number two ranking irrelevant?

No. Mahomes’ three Super Bowl rings make any claim that he is no longer elite hard to sustain, but they do not make a 2026 No. 2 ranking irrelevant. ESPN’s survey was explicitly about the best quarterbacks “right now,” not career legacy. In that frame, Josh Allen’s rise is defensible. More than 70 executives, coaches and scouts weighed current tape, production and projection, and Allen edged Mahomes on composite average after cutting down turnovers and maintaining his rare dual-threat impact. He has averaged only eight interceptions since 2024 and remains one of the league’s most difficult players to defend. Mahomes’ résumé still carries enormous weight. He led all quarterbacks in first-place votes, and many evaluators still see him as the standard because of his postseason record, including three Super Bowl titles and a 4-0 playoff mark against Allen. His legacy is secure, and several analysts argue that championships should settle the debate. But the ranking reflects recent form as much as résumé. Mahomes’ last three seasons, by his own standards, have been less dominant, and evaluators cited a weaker supporting cast, a 2025 ACL injury, and a tendency at times to hold the ball and force big plays. That does not erase his greatness; it explains why some voters put Allen slightly ahead entering camp. So the rings make Mahomes’ case stronger, not the ranking meaningless. They settle historical standing more than they settle a preseason “right now” poll.

3 articles · Updated · For The Win · Jul 13

Josh Allen topped ESPN’s 2026 quarterback survey, ahead of Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow in the ranking of NFL executives, coaches and scouts.
More than 70 league evaluators based the list on current performance entering training camp, not career résumé, helping push Mahomes off the top spot after two sub-4,000-yard passing seasons.
Stafford landed at No. 3 with fresh momentum after his 2025 MVP season, while Burrow’s No. 4 placement stood out despite him playing only 35 games over the last three years.
The result signals a broader shift in league sentiment less than two months before the 2026 season, with Allen’s recent production now outweighing Mahomes’ championship pedigree.