Despite missing the playoffs and having a bad season, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes remains the best in football. While we need to see how he recovers from his ACL injury, no active NFL quarterback matches his achievements.

When the media create unnecessary narratives, it becomes annoying. Comparing Mahomes to Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, and Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is pointless. They are not at Mahomes’ level. One NFL legend finally voiced the truth about today’s QB debate.

NFL legend Emmitt Smith talks Patrick Mahomes

“That’s the power of marketing because there’s only one elite QB in the four you just said, that’s Mahomes. Hell no!” Smith said when asked if Burrow, Allen, and Jackson are also elite with Mahomes.

“Josh Allen had a chance to get his Bills to the Super Bowl, and you saw how he just played. Elite QBs rise up in extreme circumstances. They put the team on their back and carry them to where they need to go. Elite QBs show up when others are not showing up. So, when I look at Patrick Mahomes, I see an elite QB who learned how to overcome extreme circumstances. These others are learning how to become an elite QB.”

I’m sure Smith means no shade towards those other three, either. They are good, really good. However, there is a marginal gap between them and Mahomes. Sure, you can always make the case that wins are not a quarterback stat. However, Mahomes has three Super Bowls, and in every single one, he did something crazy at the end to win it all. These other three haven’t even won a Super Bowl. In fact, Mahomes has more playoff wins than all three of them combined, as Mahomes has 17 playoff wins, and the rest have a combined 16.

Okay, fine, you want to take winning out of the equation because these guys can’t help what moves their teams make in the offseason, and things of that nature, let’s do that. Then, compare side by side, Mahomes’ stats to every single one of these guys through the same amount of career games, and Mahomes’ stat line is better.

Mahomes has the second-most passing yards in the playoffs of all active players, 200 behind Aaron Rodgers. He has the most passing touchdowns in the playoffs among all active quarterbacks.