Patrick Mahomes is no longer sitting alone at the top of the quarterback mountain, at least not in Bleacher Report’s latest rankings.
In the outlet’s NFL 1000 quarterback list, released on Aug. 3, Mahomes came in at No. 4 heading into the 2026 season. Matthew Stafford claimed the No. 1 spot, with Josh Allen at No. 2 and Justin Herbert just ahead of Mahomes as the tiebreaker winner after both were graded at 91.
For a player who has spent most of his career as the league’s measuring stick, that’s a sharp drop. Mahomes has built one of the strongest résumés in NFL history, but this ranking says the balance of power at quarterback has shifted - at least for now.
Bleacher Report’s scouting group evaluated non-rookie quarterbacks in six categories: accuracy, processing, arm talent, decision-making, leadership and pocket presence. Mahomes finished with a 91 out of 100. He maxed out in arm talent, leadership and pocket presence, but his 20 out of 25 in accuracy kept him behind the names above him.
The original scouting report also flagged issues from the 2025 season, including inconsistent decision-making, lower-body mechanics and deep-ball accuracy. Mahomes’ torn ACL was listed as something to watch as 2026 approaches.
Even with those concerns, the evaluation still left no doubt about his ability. The report made clear that Mahomes remains one of the sport’s most gifted players, with his arm strength and knack for creating when the pocket breaks down still very much intact.
Stafford’s rise to the top came after an MVP-winning 2025 season in which he threw for more than 4,700 yards and 46 touchdowns, earning a 93 grade. Allen followed closely at 92.
After Mahomes, Joe Burrow rounded out the top five. Drake Maye, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy completed the top 10.
Mahomes sliding to fourth does not suddenly change what he means to the Chiefs. But it does underline how fast the quarterback pecking order can move, especially when one season opens the door for the rest of the league to close the gap.
The 30-year-old now heads into 2026 with two major questions hanging over him: how he looks after ACL surgery, and whether one uneven year was just a bump in the road or the start of a real shift in the NFL’s quarterback hierarchy.
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