Josh Allen doesn’t need a Super Bowl ring to sit at the top of this list.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback was voted the NFL’s top quarterback by The Associated Press in a preseason survey, ending a run that had belonged to someone else for three straight years.
That someone else is Patrick Mahomes.
Allen Finally Breaks Through
Mahomes had owned the No. 1 spot in this poll every year since 2023, including two unanimous selections. This time, Allen took it from him. He received five first-place votes from the eight-member panel of AP pro football writers, who ranked the league’s top five quarterbacks heading into the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points, with second through fifth worth 5, 3, 2 and 1.
Allen showed up on all eight ballots. Beyond his five firsts, he picked up a second, a third and a fourth. That’s about as close to a consensus as this kind of vote gets.
It caps a stretch where Allen has been arguably the most complete quarterback in football, even if the hardware everyone remembers hasn’t followed.
Where the Numbers Landed
Here’s how the full panel saw it.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen followed his 2024 MVP season with another strong year, but Buffalo’s streak of five straight AFC East titles ended courtesy of New England, and the Bills were bounced in the divisional round by Denver — a result that cost Sean McDermott his job.
The numbers were still elite: 3,668 yards passing, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, a 102.2 passer rating. Add 579 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, and it’s easy to see why he made his fourth Pro Bowl and finished third in MVP voting.
Buffalo hasn’t reached a Super Bowl since the 1993 season. Seven straight playoff appearances, and the drought continues.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes’ 2025 season ended on the sideline. He tore his ACL in Week 15 — his first serious injury in the league — and Kansas City went 6-8 with him under center, then lost all three games without him.
Even coming off his worst season, the three-time Super Bowl MVP still commanded enough respect to grab two first-place votes and finish second. Before the injury, he’d thrown for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 picks. He’s targeting Week 1 as Kansas City tries to bounce back from its first losing season under Andy Reid.
3. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford had the kind of year that changes a career’s narrative. First-team All-Pro for the first time in 17 seasons. His first NFL MVP, beating out Drake Maye. He led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns, threw just eight interceptions, and posted a 109.2 rating — second only to Maye.
The Rams went 14-6 with two playoff wins before falling to Seattle in the conference championship. Stafford picked up one first-place vote and two seconds, appearing on every ballot.
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
This was a rough one for Jackson. A three-time All-Pro and two-time MVP, he had his first losing season as a starter — Baltimore went 6-7 and missed the playoffs entirely.
He still threw for 2,549 yards with 21 touchdowns against seven picks and a 103.8 rating, but his rushing numbers cratered to a career-low 349 yards and two scores. Jackson landed on six of eight ballots, with two third-place votes.
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow’s season was defined by what he couldn’t play through. A toe injury limited him to eight games and a 5-3 record — the third time in his career he’s played 10 or fewer games due to injury.
He’s bounced back from setbacks like this before, winning AP Comeback Player of the Year in two previous seasons. In his limited 2025 action, he threw for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 100.7 rating. He made five ballots, including one third-place vote.
What It Means
Preseason polls don’t hand out trophies. But they do tell you where respect sits heading into a new year, and right now, it sits with Allen — a guy who still hasn’t reached the mountaintop everyone keeps measuring him against.
That gap won’t close itself in August. It’ll close, if it closes at all, in January.
