How does Patrick Mahomes stack up against the AFC West quarterbacks?
By Grant Tuttle
In our first AFC West positional rankings post, we take a closer look at quarterback where every fan base believes they have the division’s best.
Welcome to the first post of a preseason series ranking each position group in the AFC West. After all is said and done, I will determine which team has the best roster on paper for the upcoming season.
It is important to note that this series will assume that all players are healthy for each team. For instance, L.A. Chargers tight end Hunter Henry is likely out for the season, but he will be placed on this list. I will do a brief write-up of each player after an overview and offer previous stats of the year before. I will also offer predictions on each player’s upcoming season, unless, of course, they are out for the season. Even though stats don’t make or break a player, it is fun to look at talent on paper. All of this is highly subjective and I would love to hear from you as to what you think.
It’s an interesting time in the AFC West. As a guy who likes to read up on the division, I can say that a section of every team’s fan base in this division believes they have the best quarterback. Yes, that includes the Broncos. This may be the most competitive season that the AFC West has seen in quite some time at the position.
With the departure of Alex Smith, the Patrick Mahomes story is extremely interesting. In limited playing time, he has flashed enormous potential. Kansas City Chiefs fans are hyped and the organization has not tried to downplay the excitement whatsoever. In fact, Brett Veach pushed the hype train further; stating that Patrick Mahomes was one of the “best players” he’d ever seen.
In Denver, a new starting quarterback is in place. Head coach Vance Joseph will not struggle deciphering who his number one guy will be. The Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler competition is history and Denver believes that they have found their guy. Opting not to draft a quarterback, the Broncos instead decided to sign veteran journeyman Case Keenum and believe they now have the answer to their offensive woes.
Oakland has a new head coach that they invested heavily in. It is clear that they invested in coaching as they gave Jon Gruden a ten-year contract, which is unheard of for anyone in the NFL. By investing in strong leadership, the hope is that Derek Carr will return the dominant force that he showed in his rookie year and the Raiders will have a dynasty for years to come
Philip Rivers has sat atop the divisional rankings at quarterbacks for years, but it is now a question of how long. While Rivers was very good last year, he will turn37-years-old this season. We now play the waiting game as to how long Rivers can physically perform at a high level.
On to the rankings: