Highly-Touted Rookie Snubs Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes from Top QB List

Getty Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was given extra motivation when his peers voted him as the fourth best player for the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2024. Chicago Bears rookie first overall pick Caleb Williams then added some fuel to the fire when he named his top two quarterbacks in the league, neither of which were Mahomes: Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers.

“When he played for Detroit, I enjoyed watching him,” Williams said of Stafford, via the Up & Adams Show on August 8. “But I was younger and didn’t really understand. Then I got older and older and started understanding this game. He’s unbelievable.”

Williams went on to say he couldn’t believe Stafford was ranked 42nd in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2024.

As for Rodgers, Williams said he thinks the Jets’ QB is the only player better at playing the position than Stafford.

This is worth noting because it’s a very hard argument to make that Mahomes isn’t the best quarterback in the league. That’s not to say that Stafford and Rodgers aren’t great quarterbacks — because they are — but neither of them has the resume that Mahomes does, nor does any other quarterback in the league.

So, Williams, respectfully, might be a little off with his opinion.

X Users Reacted to Caleb Williams’ Top 2 QB List

Users on X — formerly Twitter — reacted to Williams’ top two QB list, some of which agreed with Williams’ take.

“It’s awesome to watch these young QBs talk about how much they watch and learn from Matthew,” one person wrote. “First Mahomes, then (CJ) Stroud, and now Williams. I’ve watched Stafford in every game in his career and I understand why these players watch him so much. He is as ELITE as they come.”

“It’s facts too, Stafford has one of the most gifted and talented arm in the history of the game,” another person wrote. “His talent got wasted in Detroit so a lot of people didn’t watch much of him. And Rodgers the best thrower of the ball ever that’s not even debatable.”

“Stafford isn’t talked about enough as being one of the greatest from a pure talent standpoint and as a winner him and Calvin (Johnson) were the backbone of that Detroit team win or lose tbh Patrick Mahomes is Matt 2.0 with an all time great coach,” another person wrote.

Other users criticized Williams excluding some of the NFL’s other top QBs.

“He can’t be serious. This has got to be a jab at Lamar (Jackson) and Patrick, (Joe) burrow and (Josh) Allen. Some weird passive aggressive type thing. Seems like something he would do,” another person wrote.

“This guy really studied Patrick Mahomes tape and mimics a lot of his mannerisms on the field just to do him dirty like this. Crazy,” another user wrote.

Chiefs Set to Face Jaguars in Preseason Opener

With training camp now coming to a close, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions are preparing for the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That game will take place on Saturday, August 10 at 6 p.m. Central Time.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said on August 7 that he expects the starters to play the first quarter before they are replaced by the second-stringers. But if history is any indication of what will happen on Saturday, the starters likely won’t play more than one or two drives.