Arrowhead Pride
The NBC analyst has taken Kansas City’s quarterback out of his top spot for just the second time in six seasons.
In recent days, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms has been going through his yearly exercise: ranking the NFL’s top quarterbacks. On Tuesday’s “Chris Simms Unbuttoned,” the NBC Sports analyst listed his top four: the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, followed by the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes has been listed as No. 1 in four of Simms’ last five countdowns. Simms still thinks the Kansas City superstar is one of the best he’s ever seen.
“He’s mastered winning,” he said on Tuesday. “He’s the ultimate winner. And I know some people are going to say, ‘Isn’t that the only point? To win?’
“Yeah, I get that. I know. [But] winning is not a quarterback stat. I know we like to put it there — and I take it there and take it into context — but it’s not like, ‘Oh, he wins, he’s No. 1.’”
Simms stepped into Mahomes’ shoes to describe how Kansas City’s players and coaches allow Mahomes to use all of his skills.
“I don’t have to force the issue,” said Simms. “I don’t have to make this throw that Joe Burrow or Josh Allen might have to make, because my defense is awesome and they’re gonna hold them under 15 points.
“So I have a luxury right here of taking a chance and just throwing a ball into the double coverage down the field, right? Or holding the ball too long in the pocket — [because] wait, there was somebody open, but now, I want more. Let me see if I can make something happen. My defense will keep us in the game, right?”
Simms believes Mahomes is still at the top. But right now, other quarterbacks are outplaying him.
“[He’s] the man, the myth [and] the legend,” declared Simms. “[He’s] one of the greatest I’ve ever seen — and maybe the clutchiest quarterback in football. Still, the quarterback play week-in and week-out — and I don’t think he would disagree with me here — has not been as high level the past two seasons as [it has for been for] Burrow, Lamar or Josh Allen.”
And Simms isn’t simply making excuses to mark Mahomes down. The MVP of Super Bowl LIX — who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 40-22 defeat of the Chiefs — doesn’t get much credit for ‘just winning,’ either. In Monday’s podcast episode, Simms ranked Jalen Hurts 10th — behind Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert and Baker Mayfield.
“Really kind of an incredible year when you really think about it,” said Simms of Hurts. “The ultimate leader, that’s the first thing I’ll say. He’s tough, he’s the same guy all the time. He can handle the Philadelphia criticism good or bad and seems to take it...
