Patrick Mahomes isn’t shy to rank his competition when he’s asked, and just after ranking his top 5 quarterbacks, Mahomes dropped a list of his toughest competition. Right at the top he had some of the greatest defenders of the modern era. He ranked Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey as the top three toughest defenders he’s had to play against. Given how great these players have been throughout their careers and perhaps even now, it makes sense why Mahomes believes so.
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Patrick Mahomes is perhaps the best quarterback in the league, and so, he faces stiff competition from the rest of the league. NFL coaches aren’t game planning for the Kansas City Chiefs, they game plan for Patrick Mahomes. That’s how electric and dynamic the MVP is. He faces the stiffest contest from some of the best defenders in the league, and he’s had his fair share of hits from the bigger guys, especially Aaron Donald and Von Miller. However, Mahomes always finds an answer for whoever he plays.
Patrick Mahomes lists Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey as his stiffest competitors
Patrick Mahomes has been a member of the AFC West his entire career, and so he’s had his fair share of insane defenders to go up against. Namely, he routinely had to match up against Denver’s Von Miller, one of the greatest edge rushers of this generation.
The Chiefs quarterback has also had to play against perhaps the greatest defender of the modern era in Aaron Donald a good amount too. The very first game Mahomes played against the Rams was a record-setter, the third-highest scoring game ever, with the 54-51 scoreline underrating just how great the game was. Mahomes lost that game, and Donald was a big reason why.
Finally, Jalen Ramsey is just a stud cornerback. He’s been one of the premier lockdown corners in the league since he joined. This year, Mahomes will play against the Dolphins and their crazy secondary, bolstered by their gaining Jalen Ramsey this offseason. With the Dolphins rising recently, this matchup will be critical.
“In my career, Aaron Donald, one,” Mahomes had to say in his interview. “That’s out the gate. Jalen Ramsey, especially these last few years, has always been a dog. And Von Miller. I’m glad he’s not in my division anymore.”
.@PatrickMahomes named the three toughest players he’s played against in his career. ✍️
(via @ComplexSports) pic.twitter.com/iU09KKP6Hw
— NFL (@NFL) June 13, 2023
Mahomes drops his second ranking in the span of a few weeks
A few weeks ago, Mahomes had another interesting list that he was happy to share with the NFL world. Complex sat down with the two-time MVP to gain some insight into how Mahomes viewed the NFL world around him, his legacy, and the best quarterbacks ever.
Per Complex Mahomes said, “Yeah, I mean, you got to say Tom’s 1, but if you talk about the legends of the game, Tom, Peyton Manning, obviously Aaron Rogers, Joe Montana, and then it gets down to Dan Marino or John Elway to round off your top five.” Once again, not too shabby of a list.
