In the world of being an NFL quarterback, one player has seemingly captured the eyes of many, Patrick Mahomes. While the debate rages on about who is best between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, a closer look at the numbers and the intangibles reveals a narrative that clearly puts Mahomes atop the podium.
When it comes to total yardage, Patrick Mahomes stands above the rest with 32,985 yards (28,424 regular season and 4,561 postseason) over his six years as a starter. This eclipses Josh Allen's 25,426 yards (22,703 regular season and 2,723 postseason) over his six years in the league. Mahomes not only dominates in the regular season but consistently delivers when the stakes are at their highest.
Mahomes also has an incredible 1,936 rush yard total in the regular season and 443 in the postseason on top of all his pass yardage. This versatility is a testament to Mahomes' ability to go beyond the boundaries of being a quarterback, making him a dangerous opponent for any team to try and deal with. While Josh Allen's rush yards are much higher at a total of 4,288, when it comes to important moments it seems that Patrick Mahomes will stretch for every last yard his team needs.
While Josh Allen's journey is marked by independence starting his career at game 2 his rookie season after the Nathan Peterman a second year player got benched forcing Josh Allen to be forced into the starting role which is very difficult for any first year player. Allen didn't have a veteran who has had experience in many different aspects of the game to help them prepare for the difficult moments that would come up throughout his career.
Patrick Mahomes had the privilege of learning from the seasoned veteran Alex Smith during his rookie year. Smith's championship experience and Pro Bowl accolades played an important role in developing Mahomes into the great quarterback we see today. It helped develop Mahomes into the best version of himself so much faster than it's taking Josh Allen to reach at this point in his career.
A key differentiator in the Mahomes vs. Allen debate is the championship pedigree that seems to be in Mahomes' DNA. The ability to draw from Smith's wealth of experience has contributed to Mahomes' ability to stay calm under pressure and his knack for delivering in the clutch moments. This mentorship Mahomes received provided a foundation for success that cannot be understated. It helped him to feel more comfortable in the game's highest of pressure moments like the playoffs and Super Bowls being 13 and 3 in playoff with 2 Superbowl's in 3 appearances.
We can really see and understand the importance of this this when last year after the Superbowl in a press conference Patrick Mahomes said “I’ve always vocally talked but I had to take the next step in my leadership ability of how I showed guys how we work and how I couldn’t let the little stuff slide because we have such great players around me that have done it for so long. I had to teach the culture that we have here, that I learned from Alex Smith and Derrick Johnson,” talking about how the culture Alex Smith and Andy Reed developed really laid the ground work for his success the past few years in Kansas City.
Of all NFL quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes emerges as a championship-caliber performer, and the numbers speak volumes too. However, it's his intangibles that truly set him apart from the rest of his peers. The mentorship by Alex Smith, the proven path to glory, and the ability to elevate teammates. That's truly what set Mahomes apart from the rest.
As we continue to watch the NFL and its players evolve and become better, it becomes clear that Patrick Mahomes is not just a quarterback. Mahomes is a generational talent who has rewritten what it means to be a true leader on the football field. The debate may rage on, but the brilliance of Mahomes' game is a testament to his unmatched abilities, making him the undisputed choice in the ongoing saga of quarterback supremacy.