Simmons offers bold take on NFL's top QB.
Bill Simmons Makes Clear Choice Between Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Last season, Josh Allen checked nearly every box, even doing so much as to earn the NFL's Most Valuable Player for 2024.
It also did enough to place him above Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the best QB in the league right now, at least in the eyes of esteemed sportswriter and podcaster Bill Simmons.
On Monday, Simmons broke down his "QB Pyramid" on "The Bill Simmons YouTube Channel," and to many people's surprise, he didn't have Mahomes at the top of the list.
"When it came right down to it, I just think Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the league," Simmons said. "Game by game, regular season, durability. He can make chicken salad out of chicken [expletive]."
"From what we saw from Mahomes last year, I just don't think it's fair to put him over Josh Allen, especially since Mahomes didn't win the Super Bowl last year," Simmons continued. "Is it possible that he might have peaked a couple of years ago as like apex Mahomes?"
Simmons went on to note that he didn't believe Mahomes' 2024 season was nearly as good as previous years and that the Chiefs "kind of lucked out," going 11-1 in one-score games.
At the end, Simmons challenged Mahomes to go out and prove him wrong, saying, "Go take your belt back."
Career Context: Accomplishments That Shape the Debate
At just 29 years old, Mahomes has already won three Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVPs, two NFL MVPs, with seven straight AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowl appearances since becoming Kansas City’s starter in 2018.
Allen, meanwhile, owns the 2024 NFL MVP, three Pro Bowls, two second-team All-Pro nods and NFL marks including the highest single-postseason passer rating (149.0 in 2021) and a share of the single-season QB rushing TD record (15 in 2023).
He's led the Buffalo Bills to six straight playoff appearances (including two AFC Championship games) and six straight AFC East titles.
2024 Allen vs. Mahomes, Side by Side
- Regular season production:
Allen: 3,731 pass yards, 28 TD, 6 INT; 102 rushes, 531 yards, 12 rush TD; 1 receiving TD; QBR 77.3, rating 101.4. Mahomes: 3,928 pass yards, 26 TD, 11 INT; 58 rushes, 307 yards, 2 rush TD; QBR 67.6, rating 93.5. - Head-to-head:
Week 11: Bills 30, Chiefs 21 (Allen outplayed Mahomes in Orchard Park). AFC Championship: Chiefs 32, Bills 29 (Mahomes advanced; Allen's Bills fell short in Kansas City). - Postseason:
Allen: 4 TD, 0 INT, 109.6 rating, plus 105 rushing yards and 2 rushing TD across three games; lost the AFC title game on the road by three points. Mahomes: 5 TD, 2 INT, 101.4 rating across three games; beat Allen head-to-head and reached Super Bowl LIX before losing to Philadelphia. - Team results:
Bills: 13-4 regular season, AFC Championship loss. Chiefs: 15-2 regular season, Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Is Simmons Right to Rank Allen Over Mahomes Right Now?
If the ranking is about current form heading into 2025, Simmons has a legitimate case.
Allen’s 2024 MVP season, higher QBR, lower INT rate and greater total touchdown output (passing + rushing + receiving) make a strong argument, even acknowledging the narrow playoff defeat at Arrowhead.
If the ranking is about "best quarterback" in the broader sense, integrating postseason apex moments and multi-year dominance, Mahomes still "carries the belt," as Simmons put it.
He's 4-0 against Allen in the playoffs and remains the league’s January problem in January, despite falling in Super Bowl LIX.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
