Is Josh Allen a Better Quarterback Than Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert?

Josh Allen is on the verge of becoming the best quarterback in the NFL, but still needs to win a Super Bowl.

Is Josh Allen a Better Quarterback Than Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert?

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen (Image via IMAGO)

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If anyone had picked Josh Allen as the best quarterback in 2022, then they would have been trolled to oblivion by everyone else. Obviously, Patrick Mahomes ruled the streets, winning multiple Super Bowls and AFC titles within a span of four years.

Mahomes set the standard for nearly every quarterback metric in the game, creating a gulf between him and the competition. However, it’s no longer 2022, and a lot has changed since then.

Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow are knocking on the door to impeach Mahomes from his throne. Analysts such as Dan Orlovsky and Cam Newton, on the other hand, crowned Allen as the new head honcho of the quarterback town.

The only people on the planet that can do what [Josh Allen] does, I would tell you are Lamar Jackson, probably Patrick Mahomes, and then maybe Justin Herbert. The guys that can play to that style and dominate in that way, take over a football game in that way, both with their arm and situationally with their legs.

Dan Orlovsky said via First Take

It began after Allen beat Jackson for the MVP title. Jackson clearly had better overall numbers, but he had nearly ten Pro Bowlers on his team, while Allen carried the Bills mostly by himself.

Josh Allen had nothing. Preseason had nothing. What is he going to do with Gabe Davis’ departure? What is he going to do with the departure of Stefon Diggs?

Cam Newton said in an episode of the 4th & 1 podcast earlier this year (H/T: PFSN)

Allen completed 63.6% of his passes for 28 touchdowns. He further added 12 more scores on the ground to take his tally to 40, while Jackson had 41 through the air and led the league in passer rating (119.6) and average yards per throw (8.8). However, the Baltimore Ravens boasted elite talents such as Derrick Henry (finished second in rushing yards), Zay Flowers, Roquan Smith, and Kyle Hamilton.

In the meantime, Mahomes witnessed a dip in his form. He led the Chiefs to a third ring in four years in 2023, but the seeds of decline were clear as day.

Despite surpassing 4000 passing yards, Mahomes recorded fewer than 30 touchdown passes for the first time since 2019. His average yards per game declined to below 265 yards per game since entering the league, and his passer rating fell below 95 in both 2023 and 2024.

2025 began the same way 2024 ended—with a defeat. The recently turned 30-year-old tasted defeat in three consecutive games (including the Super Bowl 59 loss) for the first time in his pro career.

Allen, at the same time, has led the Bills to a 3-0 start. He bested Jackson for the second game in a row in week one, defeated the Jets without throwing a touchdown, and improved his record against the Dolphins to 14 wins.

In the very same game, Allen surpassed Mahomes as the fastest quarterback to reach 300 overall touchdowns (including playoffs) and broke HOF Dan Marino’s record of throwing the most TDs against a single NFL team.

Is Josh Allen really the best quarterback in the NFL over Patrick Mahomes?

The results may not reflect Mahomes’ performance in the first two games of the season. He threw two TDs and one INT, but compensated by leading the team in yards on the ground with 123 and 2 TDs.

Is Josh Allen a Better Quarterback Than Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert?
Josh Allen (Image via IMAGO)

Mahomes has played the last two years without his top receiver. Rashee Rice appeared in just four games before picking up a season-ending injury. Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins racked up a little over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns between them.

Currently, Rice is serving a six-game suspension, and Worthy’s status remains unclear after dislocating his shoulder in week one. Despite the absence, Mahomes still kept the Chiefs in the game, only losing by one score.

Mahomes and Allen are tied with a 4-4 record. However, Mahomes has the lead in the postseason with 4 wins, while Allen is 4-1 in the regular season.

It’s too early to count Mahomes out of the best quarterback conversation. Of course, he has never started the season 0-2 (the last time it happened was back in 2014 during the Alex Smith era for the Chiefs), but that doesn’t mean the Chiefs can’t turn their season around. He just needs the same amount of help from his teammates that Allen gets from his.

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