ESPN could have just given Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen another chip on his shoulder following latest rankings list

Sometimes winning MVP isn't enough to be considered as the best player in the NFL.

That is the case for the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, who landed at No. 2 on ESPN's 2025 quarterback rankings. He came in behind, you guessed it, the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes. Here is their breakdown:

From ESPN: "Allen's performance in 2024, however, erased any doubt, with his play applying pressure on Mahomes for the top spot. With nearly 4,300 total yards, 40 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2024, Allen showed what his very best garners: an MVP award and 13 regular-season wins despite the lack of a true No. 1 receiver in his prime. Allen epitomizes the modern quarterback, with mobility that can thwart just about any defense, which makes him dangerous in the pocket but even more so out of it. Pressure did not affect Allen last season, when he led the NFL in QBR (85.3) and yards per dropback (6.5) under pressure, and his 13 passing touchdowns under duress tied the NFL lead. Allen also had the lowest sack rate in the entire NFL on all dropbacks (2.6%) despite his willingness to stay in the pocket to let plays develop or to buy time and scramble. Conversely, Allen's 18.1% off-target rate was the worst clip among the 18 quarterbacks who received at least one vote in this year's top 10."

It appears that falling short of reaching the Super Bowl is what's keeping Allen ranked behind Mahomes, based off this anonymous NFL personnel evaluator:

""He's done everything. He's answered every test. He makes less mistakes and takes care of the ball. Only thing left to do is win it all. He's still got that risk-taking to his game and the occasional head-scratching play, but he's taking more calculated risks than wild risks, which is helping his overall play." 

Over the past two years, Allen has thrown for more yards and touchdowns than Mahomes, as well as less interceptions. Obviously Mahomes has the rings, but that gets into a gray area where you're comparing teams as a whole rather than just individual players. At the end of the day, if Allen can secure another MVP and finally lead the Bills to a Super Bowl win, he'll likely be considered the best QB in the league.