Josh Allen has been voted the NFL’s best quarterback ahead of the 2026 season by Associated Press journalists, ending Patrick Mahomes’ three-year run at the top.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback received five first-place votes from an eight-vote AP panel that ranked the league’s top five signal-callers. First-place ballots counted 10 points, with second through fifth worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively. Allen appeared on every ballot and also earned one second-place, one third-place and one fourth-place vote.
What the 2026 AP poll means for Allen
The poll reflects Allen’s 2025 MVP form even without a Super Bowl berth. He threw for 3,668 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 102.2 passer rating while adding 579 rushing yards and 14 TDs. Buffalo’s five-year AFC East title streak ended in 2025 when New England knocked the Bills out of the divisional round, costing Sean McDermott his job. Allen made his fourth Pro Bowl and finished third in MVP voting.
Where Mahomes, Stafford and the rest landed
Patrick Mahomes finished second after missing the final five games of 2025 with a torn ACL. Kansas City went 6-8 without him and missed the playoffs for the first time under Andy Reid. Mahomes still earned two first-place votes and 62 total points, down from his unanimous No. 1 finishes in 2023 and 2024.
Matthew Stafford took third with one first-place vote and 48 points. The Los Angeles Rams’ 14-6 record included two playoff wins before a NFC Championship loss to Seattle. Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards, 46 TDs and a 109.2 passer rating.
Lamar Jackson placed fourth after Baltimore’s first losing season under his tenure. He threw for 2,549 yards, 21 TDs and seven interceptions in 13 games. Joe Burrow rounded out the top five.
What comes next for Allen and the Bills
Buffalo has reached seven straight postseasons yet still hasn’t played in a Super Bowl since 1993. Allen and the Bills now aim to rebound from their 2025 playoff exit and chase their first Lombardi Trophy.
Kansas City, meanwhile, must recover from its first losing campaign under Reid while Mahomes rehabs his ACL. The Chiefs open the 2026 season in Week 1 with Mahomes on track to return.