Yes, this is Mahomes’ fourth straight year being ranked No. 1 in this poll. In 2022, he led the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in the past four seasons, and he became the first player to win league MVP and a Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999. This year, Mahomes is tasked with a new offensive coordinator (Matt Nagy) and overcoming the departure of the team’s top wide receiver (JuJu Smith-Schuster) — again. But neither has been a problem for him before. He won MVP awards the last time the Chiefs changed coordinators (2018) and after trading Tyreek Hill (2022). — Adam Teicher
Signature stat: Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250), touchdown passes (41) and Total QBR (78) en route to winning his second NFL MVP. He is the first player to lead in all three categories in a season since Peyton Manning in 2013.
Lamar Jackson is part of a rare group of players who have won the Heisman Trophy and an NFL MVP Award. Even more impressive, Jackson is one of just two MVPs to win the award unanimously. The other is Tom Brady — widely regarded as the Greatest Quarterback of All Time. Despite being in elite company, Jackson is often pegged as not being a “true quarterback.” It’s an unfair label that’s followed him since high school but Lamar has proved his doubters wrong at every step. I mean, forever being linked with the GOAT ain’t half bad. But Lamar’s journey to get the proper recognition he deserves hasn’t been easy. He was once a guy overlooked by major college programs, told to switch positions, and someone that critics thought wouldn’t survive in the NFL. Let’s meet these versions of Lamar Jackson in the prism.
What they are saying: ”I don’t know that there’s really a way to quantify [Mahomes’ skill set] financially, and no matter what he makes over his career, I’m sure one way or another he’ll be underpaid.’’ — Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt Saquon Barkley: The former No. 2 overall pick of the New York Giants in 2018 rushed for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games played last season. He accounted for 27.7% of the Giants’ offense in 2022, which was the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. Despite that, Barkley did not find the long-term lucrative deal he was after this offseason. However, Pacheco thinks he’s on a Hall of Fame track.
Isiah Pacheco: That’s right, Pacheco named himself. He has some work to do to be considered one of the best running backs of all time, but he’s confident he can get there.
The reigning regular-season MVP and Super Bowl MVP has been the most accurate off-platform thrower (i.e., when his feet aren’t ideally set, as measured by computer vision) each and every season since 2018 by at least 8.5 percentage points. If I isolate QBs and their respective top pass catchers on off-platform throws over the past three seasons, Mahomes and Travis Kelce’s connection not only blows away all others in terms of volume but also is at least 11 percentage points ahead of any other duo. The only reason Mahomes ranks below Allen on this list is because the Chiefs’ path and the AFC West are a bit easier than the Bills’ journey and the AFC East. The Kansas City Chiefs have depth at wide receiver, but in the best-case scenario, one of their young playmakers will emerge from the group to complement four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. The Chiefs selected Rashee Rice in the second round of this year’s draft, and he had an opportunity to carve out a big role while Kadarius Toney is on the mend from knee surgery.
While the Chiefs take a “day-by-day” approach with Toney’s recovery, Rice could see snaps in three-wide receiver sets along with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore, but he will likely split those duties with Justyn Ross, who’s had an impressive offseason. Because of Rice’s drop issues, quarterback Patrick Mahomes may develop a stronger rapport with Ross early in the season. On a positive note, the 23-year-old knows what’s caused his issue with drops.
“I’m known for running after the catch—yards after the catch—so I’ve just gotta figure out a way for me to fix trying to take off before I have the ball in my hands,” Rice said via Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. If the SMU product sharpens his focus on securing the ball, he could become a big-play receiver for an offense that doesn’t need Mahomes to throw deep to rack up yards in bunches. A rookie with inconsistent hands could easily lose the trust of coaches, but Rice knows how to address his fault, which reduces the level of concern on the panic meter.
