Patrick Mahomes was left off 18 of 104 ballots by the coaches, general managers and executives polled by Albert Breer for MMQB. Only 86 voters even named the three-time Super Bowl MVP among their top five quarterbacks in the league.

Josh Allen took the top spot for the first time with 427 points and 49 first-place votes. Matthew Stafford was second on 356 points and 33 first-place votes. Mahomes finished third with 247 points and 12 first-place votes, ahead of Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

“I figured he’d fall a little bit, but I didn’t anticipate that he’d be left off 18 ballots,” Breer wrote.

Mahomes had held the top spot in this poll for six consecutive years, winning more than 90% of first-place votes in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. This is the first year the panel has looked past him.

Read also: One short of Ronaldo: Messi lands 17th Ballon d'Or nomination at 39

The Chiefs missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014 after Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee in Week 15. His comeback has been the story of the Kansas City offseason, and it now runs into a panel of the game’s decision-makers who no longer see him as the league’s best quarterback.

Allen has taken the room

Breer’s own read on the new order was blunt.

“Allen’s the most feared player in football because he’s grown into a quarterback who affects the defense on every single level,” he wrote.

One NFL vice president of player personnel put it in shorter terms.

Read also: 'Nobody is picking us to win again': Josh Hart on why the Knicks like being overlooked

“He’s still the most dangerous all around, and the offense may be less conservative this year,” the executive said.

Allen’s 49 first-place votes were 16 clear of Stafford and 37 clear of Mahomes.

Mahomes returns against reigning division champions

Kansas City host the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in the Monday Night Football season premiere, with kickoff at 7:15pm local time on Monday, 14 September. Denver are the reigning AFC West champions, and they are the opening obstacle in Mahomes’s return.

Mahomes was cleared to practise on 24 July and took every first-team rep in training camp. When asked about his quarterback’s readiness, receiver Xavier Worthy did not hedge.

Read also: 'If I pick one, then it's Harry Kane': Pochettino makes his Ballon d'Or call

“Oh, he’s back. Ain’t no potentially,” Worthy said.

Read also: Pochettino on the 16/17 Premier League season: "The title should be for the team that was second"