Patrick Mahomes has been in the NFL for seven seasons, and in that time, he’s racked up three Super Bowls, two MVPs, five AFC Championship appearances, and countless what the hell just happened moments. He’s essentially what every team dreams of when they draft a quarterback — except most of them passed on him.
So let’s take a look at all 32 teams and rank them based on just how much they wish they had taken Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of, well… whatever they did.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Let’s get the obvious out of the way—no regrets here. The Chiefs traded up to get Mahomes, and now they have the best quarterback of his generation. Life is good in Kansas City.
31. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens weren’t even in the market for a QB back then since they still had Joe Flacco’s Super Bowl MVP glow. And now they have Lamar Jackson, so they’re not crying about it.
30. Buffalo Bills
They actually had the 10th pick in 2017 (Mahomes went 10th) but traded it away… to the Chiefs. Oops. But at least they have Josh Allen, even if he sometimes forgets what color jersey his teammates wear.
29. Philadelphia Eagles
They still believed in Carson Wentz at the time (lol), but they eventually landed Jalen Hurts, so it all worked out.
28. Green Bay Packers
They had Aaron Rodgers in his prime. Drafting Mahomes would’ve been like adopting a second golden retriever when you already have one winning “Best in Show.”
27. Cincinnati Bengals
Sure, they could have had Mahomes, but they’re more than happy with Joe Burrow. If Burrow could stop breaking himself every season, this ranking might be even lower.
26. Houston Texans
The Texans actually passed on Mahomes twice, but considering they now have C.J. Stroud—who already looks like the next big thing—they’re probably fine. For once.
25. Washington Commanders
They’ve started approximately 74 quarterbacks since 2017, but they do have Jayden Daniels, so I don’t think they’re too upset.
24. San Francisco 49ers
They thought they had the answer in Jimmy Garoppolo. Now they have Brock Purdy, who costs as much as an old iPhone and is somehow doing a pretty decent job.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
They drafted Leonard Fournette fourth overall instead of Mahomes. And while that’s hilarious, they eventually got Trevor Lawrence, which is a pretty solid get.
22. Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is great, but he plays for a team that actively finds new ways to lose. Maybe Mahomes would’ve changed that, or maybe the Chargers’ curse is just that strong.
21. Detroit Lions
They were still rolling with Matthew Stafford in 2017, and they eventually got Jared Goff, who’s weirdly thriving. Mahomes in Detroit would’ve been fun, though.
20. Indianapolis Colts
They still had Andrew Luck in 2017, so drafting Mahomes wouldn’t have made sense at the time. Of course, Luck retiring at 29 changed things real fast.
19. New York Giants
They were still convinced Eli Manning had another Super Bowl run in him (spoiler: he didn’t). They also probably thought Daniel Jones was the answer.
18. Miami Dolphins
They took Charles Harris (who?), but they eventually landed Tua Tagovailoa and have an offense that looks like it was designed in a video game (at times).
17. Carolina Panthers
In 2017, they still had MVP Cam Newton. Now they have Bryce Young. Yeah, they definitely wouldn’t mind a Mahomes do-over.
16. Minnesota Vikings
They went all-in on Kirk Cousins a year after Mahomes was drafted, which is like settling for a Toyota Camry when you could’ve had a Ferrari.
15. Atlanta Falcons
They were fresh off the Super Bowl collapse and still believed in Matt Ryan. If they had Mahomes, maybe 28-3 never happens.
14. Denver Broncos
They thought Paxton Lynch was the answer. Let that sink in.
13. Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson was still good in 2017, but he eventually forced his way out, and now they have Geno Smith, which is… fine? Mahomes would’ve been better.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben was on the back end of his career, and now they’re just trying guys named Kenny and Mason and an aging Russell Wilso to see what happens.
11. New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees was still playing, but Mahomes learning from Brees and Sean Payton? That’s a dynasty waiting to happen.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes, they got Tom Brady eventually, but imagine prime Mahomes throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Terrifying.
9. Las Vegas Raiders
They had Derek Carr at the time, but we all know how that turned out. A Mahomes-Raiders era would’ve been wild.
8. Arizona Cardinals
They took Haason Reddick instead, which isn’t bad, but let’s be real—they’d trade their entire franchise for Mahomes today.
7. New York Jets
They’ve been cycling through QBs like a Tinder user swiping left on every option. Imagine if Mahomes had been their guy.
6. Tennessee Titans
They’ve been trying to replace Ryan Tannehill for what feels like a decade. Mahomes would’ve solved so many problems.
5. Cleveland Browns
They took Myles Garrett, which was a solid pick, but they’ve had roughly 900 quarterbacks since 2017. Mahomes would’ve spared them a lot of pain.
4. New England Patriots
They had Brady at the time, but imagine Mahomes taking over instead of Mac Jones or Drake Maye. Shivers.
3. Los Angeles Rams
They won a Super Bowl with Stafford, but Mahomes with Sean McVay? Game over.
Related: Ranking the 30 Worst Draft Picks in NFL History
2. Dallas Cowboys
They’ve been searching for their next superstar QB since the 90s. Instead, they got Dak Prescott (who is fine, don’t @ me), but Jerry Jones would trade his entire oil fortune for Mahomes.
Related: 10 Reasons People Love to Hate the Dallas Cowboys
1. Chicago Bears
They took Mitch Trubisky over Mahomes. Enough said.
Related: Ranking Every NFL Team From Worst to Best: 24-25 Season
