The single most important position in a team sport in 2025 is the quarterback spot. Every year, there is intense debate about the hierarchy of current quarterbacks, while more names join the list to assert their places. However, more recently, one name has stood apart from everyone else: Patrick Mahomes.
With two MVPs, three Super Bowl wins, and five appearances, Mahomes has cemented himself as the standard everyone else has to live up to. However, NBA legend Paul Pierce doesn’t believe he is the pinnacle of the position anymore.
Paul Pierce Gives Patrick Mahomes Bronze Medal in QB Rankings
From a resume standpoint, it is hard to argue anyone is above Mahomes, as it currently stands. With the success he’s had over the first seven years of his career, many are projecting a fast track to GOAT status for the Kansas City Chiefs superstar.
However, Pierce isn’t among those believers. A former NBA Champion, he spoke about the quarterback rankings going into the 2025 season on the latest episode of SPEAK on Fox Sports, revealing his iteration, where he had Josh Allen ahead of Mahomes.
“I think he should be ranked ahead of Mahomes because this is based on ‘What have you done for me lately?’ I know Mahomes got ’em to a Super Bowl. But we know that this Kansas City Chiefs team was built around their defense.”
For Pierce, it was the Chiefs’ defense, ranked 14th on PFSN’s Defense+ metric, that deserved the respect Mahomes was getting. Between the quarterbacks, his argument boiled down to plain, simple statistics.
“Mahomes wasn’t that great. He had 26 passing touchdowns, while Allen is coming off an MVP season.” That’s when he went a step further. “I wouldn’t even have Mahomes number two. I’m putting Lamar [Jackson] right there.”
The ranking, unfortunately, doesn’t stand up against logic. In terms of success, Mahomes is clearly past the other two. Even team records saw the two-time MVP stand above both Allen and Jackson.
Additionally, both Allen and Jackson lost to Mahomes over the last two years in the AFC Championship Game while being thoroughly outplayed. Add in the number of injuries Kansas City’s offense was dealing with, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that their unit wasn’t functioning at peak capacity.
But where the 2008 Finals MVP’s argument fell apart is his next statement. Beyond these two, he was ready to rank Jalen Hurts ahead of Mahomes and Joe Burrow, when statistically, Burrow was arguably the best QB in the entire league.
Additionally, the Eagles had a top-three defense around Hurts while having weapons like AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as a historic season from Saquon Barkley, where he broke the all-time rushing record for a year.
Mahomes has been far from his MVP and Super Bowl champion self. However, when comparing with other quarterbacks in the league, it is hard to form a comprehensive list where he isn’t the ace.