Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes? ESPN poll gives answer to burning question

An ESPN poll of over 50 league executives, coaches, players and scouts indicated who they would rather have at quarterback between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

NFL training camps are set to begin later this month, which means the predictions and debates for the upcoming season are flying.  Not just with teams, but who are the best players at positions.

ESPN (subscription required) held a poll with over 50 NFL executives, coaches, players, and scouts to ask them who they believe are the Top 10 players at their positions. But it also provided an answer as to who they prefer at quarterback between Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Those polled listed Rodgers as the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL.

NFL execs, coaches, players, and scouts prefer Aaron Rodgers over Patrick Mahomes

Here is what one veteran NFC scout said about Rodgers, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler:

“He’s been the same guy and will continue to be; he’ll make those receivers better [without Davante Adams],” the scout said, h/t ESPN. “He should have more championships, but their defense and special teams have let him down.”

Rodgers is coming off of winning another NFL MVP award, his fourth all-time and second in consecutive years. This past season, he threw for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and a league-low seven interceptions. He also led the league in interception percentage (0.8) and quarterback rating (111.9).

Despite the 13-4 record, the Packers were defeated 13-10 by the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

Meanwhile, Mahomes helped overcome a slow start to the 2021 season, where the Chiefs won 9 of their last 10 regular-season games after holding a 3-4 record. Mahomes then led the team to the AFC Championship Game for the fourth consecutive season. But in the AFC Championship game, they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, who clinched a trip to Super Bowl 56.

Mahomes threw for 4,839 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while completing 66.3-percent of his passes.

Both quarterbacks do have something in common, and it is not their Super Bowl aspirations or their love of golf. Rather, they will both be heading into the 2022 season without their respective star wide receivers on the team. Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, while Tyreek Hill was dealt to the Miami Dolphins. This could be a true test to see how great both Rodgers and Mahomes are without these historic playmakers.

So, who do you think should be the top ranked quarterback in the NFL? Rodgers? Mahomes? Another option? Sound away in the comments.