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Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s next great quarterback rivalry

By Jacob Harris

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 07: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after carrying the ball into the endzone for a touchdown during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 07: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after carrying the ball into the endzone for a touchdown during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 13: Drew Lock #3 of the Missouri Tigers throws a pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first quarter of the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 13: Drew Lock #3 of the Missouri Tigers throws a pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first quarter of the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Future Prospect

I’ll start with the cop-out answer: someone not even playing in the NFL yet.

The rest of the AFC West could be/should be drafting a QB soon. The Denver Broncos whiffed on Case Keenum and Los Angeles Chargers should be thinking about life post-Philip Rivers. No one knows what’s cooking in Jon Gruden’s head, so it’s possible he moves on from Derek Carr at some point in the near future, so the (alleged) QB guru can draft his next, um, Brad Johnson?

Brady will be retiring sometime in the next five years (right?), and with Josh McDaniels feeling like the heir-apparent in New England, whoever takes the reigns from Brady should be in prime position to succeed early. Same goes for Pittsburgh, as Ben Roethlisberger seems ever-closer to the end.

The Dolphins, the Bengals, the Jaguars, the Titans—there are plenty of AFC teams who could be upgrading at QB within the next few years, and as we’ve seen over and over in this league, a great quarterback goes a long way toward reversing a team’s fortunes a lot quicker than any other position.

Josh Allen

Josh Allen’s got a big arm and a lot of aggressive competitiveness, but that’s about it. Buffalo was about as far from the ideal spot for him to land as he could get. But if he does progress and develop into even an above-average QB, he could flirt with being dangerous, especially if the Bills continue to strengthen their defense and put some playmakers around Allen. An Allen vs. Mahomes rivalry is likely never happening, as thrilling as it would be to watch 60 minutes of both teams pulling out the NFL Blitz playbook and running “Da Bomb” every single down.

Lamar Jackson

A total wild card. I don’t see Lamar Jackson developing into top QB, but the Ravens defense is fierce and as long as it continues to be, Jackson will have the opportunity to win early when he takes over from Joe Flacco. He’s undeniably electric, so the prospect of a Jackson as a fully-realized quarterback matching up with Mahomes and the Chiefs once or twice a year is definitely appealing.

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