For the primary time since he turned an NFL starter, Patrick Mahomes shouldn’t be a Professional Bowler.
The famous person quarterback, whose Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are an NFL-best 15-1, was among the many most notable omissions when the alternatives for the 2025 Professional Bowl Video games got here out Thursday.
As an alternative, the Buffalo Payments’ Josh Allen was voted to be the AFC’s beginning quarterback, whereas the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow have been named reserves.
All three boast a lot gaudier statistics than Mahomes, who has made six Professional Bowls since turning into the Chiefs’ beginning quarterback in 2018. Burrow leads the NFL with 42 landing passes, whereas Allen and Jackson have each totaled at the least 40 touchdowns between the air and floor.
However Mahomes, a three-time Tremendous Bowl winner who’s at the moment pursuing an unprecedented third consecutive championship, is the most effective participant on the NFL’s greatest staff. His 5 fourth-quarter comebacks and 7 game-winning drives lead the NFL.
It’s the most recent instance that statistics don’t inform your complete story.
Mahomes’ 3,928 passing yards rank third within the AFC, whereas his 26 landing passes and 67.5% completion proportion each rank fourth. He has thrown 11 interceptions.
His numbers should not far off from these of Aaron Rodgers, who has accomplished 63% of his passes for 3,623 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the 4-12 Jets.
Mahomes, 29, led the Chiefs to the AFC’s No. 1 seed regardless of dropping his No. 1 large receiver, Rashee Rice, to a season-ending knee harm in Week 4. He additionally performed with out veteran speedster Marquis “Hollywood” Brown for the primary 14 video games as a consequence of a shoulder harm.
Kansas Metropolis’s main receivers this season are 35-year-old Travis Kelce (823 yards) and rookie Xavier Worthy (638).
Then again, the Chiefs haven’t been as dominant as their 15-1 document suggests.
In Week 1, Isaiah Doubtless’s toe landed out of bounds on a would-be-game-tying landing on the finish of the Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Ravens.
In Week 2, a questionable cross interference name on 4th and 16 with 38 seconds remaining prolonged what ended up being a game-winning field-goal drive within the Chiefs’ 26-25 win over the Bengals.
In Week 9, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opted to kick a game-tying additional level with 27 seconds left in regulation somewhat than go for 2 — and the win — on the highway. The Chiefs gained the coin toss in additional time and scored an opening-possession landing, stopping the Bucs’ offense from seeing the ball once more.
In Week 10, the Chiefs blocked the Denver Broncos’ would-be-game-winning 35-yard subject purpose as time expired to flee with a 16-14 win.
In Week 13, the Las Vegas Raiders botched a snap with 15 seconds remaining in regulation and misplaced a fumble, ending a possible game-winning drive whereas already in subject purpose vary. The Chiefs left with a 19-17 victory.
And in Week 14, Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright doinked a 31-yard subject purpose try off the left upright, just for the ball to carom by way of the purpose posts as time expired, giving Kansas Metropolis a 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
None of this takes something away from the Chiefs, but it surely does function a reminder that it’s been an particularly unusual season for Kansas Metropolis.
And Mahomes being left off of the Professional Bowl roster is the most recent abnormality.
Mahomes may nonetheless find yourself making the Professional Bowl Video games, that are set to happen on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2 — the week earlier than Tremendous Bowl LIX — at Tenting World Stadium in Orlando.
Professional Bowl alternates are but to be introduced, and on the very least, the gamers whose groups make the Tremendous Bowl will must be changed.
In fact, Mahomes plans to be taking part in within the Tremendous Bowl — not the Professional Bowl Video games.
