Arrowhead Pride
In the wake of ESPN’s annual top-10 quarterback rankings, a list that featured Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes losing the No. 1 spot he held for three years, the outlet published an analysis of trade value for the league’s top players.
Of note to me was author Bill Barnwell’s value for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, especially given his belief that Allen has “outplayed Mahomes over the past three seasons.”
Allen is a year younger than Mahomes, free of a serious knee injury and “better,” yet Barnwell assigned the same trade value to the two players. He was unwilling to value Allen more on the bottom line, despite alluding to his honest answer by questioning the right number of first-round picks for Allen’s value.
“Five? Six? Nine? 10? It’s a lot, whatever it is, and nobody would cost more.”
2026 NFL trade tiers: Players worth Round 1 picks by team | ESPN
Seven first-round picks: QB Patrick Mahomes. Would a torn ACL stop anyone from trading the farm to land Mahomes? I’m of the opinion that Allen is the best quarterback in football at the moment, having outplayed Mahomes over the past three seasons, but Mahomes’ postseason halo and remarkably consistent success before 2025 would undoubtedly charm teams, too. Mahomes turns 31 in November, so there would be some hesitation about committing too many future picks given his age and the knee injury. But that could still mean a decade of high-level quarterback play from arguably the best player of his generation.
CB Kevin Knowles II
While special teams might be the most important thing for his chances, Knowles feels a bit like the forgotten man in the Chiefs’ slot cornerback competition. Yes, the team brought in Kader Kohou and L’Jarius Sneed, plus drafted Jadon Canady. They also have Chris Roland-Wallace as a slot option. That competition is fierce, but I think Knowles has a proven advantage.
“The Chiefs have had an extraordinary impact on our region for generations, and this investment represents an exciting new chapter for the organization and the Kansas City community. As a Kansas City-based company, it is a privilege to help bring that vision to life by providing experienced project leadership from planning through construction. We look forward to working alongside the Chiefs and the entire project team to deliver a world-class facility for the organization, its staff and Chiefs Kingdom.”
Set to open ahead of the 2031 football season, the Chiefs new $300 million practice facility and headquarters – as well as an associated mixed-use development – will be located on approximately 155 acres near the intersection of College Boulevard and Ridgeview Road in Olathe.
**[Stripe the Jungle Returns in 2026 Against Kansas...
