ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes’ preseason top 10 quarterbacks list put Patrick Mahomes first and Matthew Stafford at No. 10, sparking heavy backlash from fans who say the reigning MVP belongs much higher. Kimes’ full top five included Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, J
The NFL season isn’t even here yet, but one quarterback ranking is already turning into a public fight.
ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes released her annual list of the top 10 quarterbacks, and fans quickly zeroed in on where she placed Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford. In Kimes’ ranking, Stafford landed at No. 10.
Kimes put Patrick Mahomes at the top of the list. Mahomes is a three-time Super Bowl winner and a two-time NFL MVP, and the ranking comes even as he is coming off a brutal injury as he looks ahead to next season.
From there, she rounded out her top five with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, and New England Patriots’ Drake Maye.
Those names haven’t all drawn the same level of heat. Instead, the controversy has focused on the quarterbacks Kimes placed ahead of Stafford—three of whom were also flagged by critics as obvious upgrades on paper, but not, in fans’ view, superior to Stafford in impact.
Kimes listed Stafford below the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams. the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert. Fans acknowledged those players are among the best in the league. but said none of them have had their teams within reach of the Super Bowl in recent seasons.
On social media, the reaction was immediate and sharp. One X commenter wrote, “9 QBs better than the MVP?. lol okay.” Another said. “Top 4 hard to argue about. but I think Stafford should be higher.” A third commenter fumed. “The reigning NFL MVP at 10. Some people just shouldn’t have a platform man.” Others added their own version of the same complaint. including: “MVP is 10th?. 3 underachievers ahead of him?. Is this list of potential but never fulfilled?”.
The argument behind the backlash is straightforward: Stafford’s recent resume doesn’t look like a No. 10 quarterback.
Stafford won Super Bowl LVI as the Rams’ quarterback in 2022, leading his team past Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. And in what fans pointed to as his most recent stretch as the reigning MVP, Kimes still didn’t place him among the top five.
In his fifth season with the Rams, Stafford threw 388-of-597 completions for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. It was also the most productive year of his career by several measures, including a career-best 109.2 rating and a 12-5 record as his team reached the NFC Championship Game.
That run ended when the Rams fell to Sam Darnold and the Seattle Superhawks in what was described as a battle. Still. fans argue that the timeline of Stafford’s success is impossible to ignore—especially because they say the Rams are already viewed as odds-on favorites to win the next Super Bowl with Stafford back for another season and the addition of key offseason acquisitions.
Whether Kimes’ full list holds up to the noise may depend on how quickly the next season changes the conversation. But for now, one number—No. 10—has turned a routine offseason debate into a very public referendum on how quarterback greatness should be measured.
Mina Kimes Matthew Stafford Patrick Mahomes Josh Allen Lamar Jackson Joe Burrow Drake Maye Caleb Williams Dak Prescott Justin Herbert NFL quarterbacks ranking