Trekking Mahomes Mountain
By jason
Sunday, January 11th, 2026 • 6:04 AM PST
Follow Mahomes Mountain as the 2025-2026 season progresses.
After Week #18 (Regular Season)
MM playoff edition. Any QBs not in the playoffs are off the mountain.
This mountain is all over the place. The intent was to give considerable weight to each QB's playoff pedigree, but it ended up ignoring each QB's full season of work.
Stafford is back on top. The committee considers him the best QB of any playoff team. They may be right, but he hasn't looked good for a few games in a row now. Maye moves down two spots, while Caleb only moves down one for having no prior playoff experience. Maye should be above Trevor. Allen and Trevor go head-to-head this wildcard weekend so one will prevail. Which QB will turn the ball over less? What's the over/under on turnovers for that game? Could they break the record of 12 turnovers in one game?
Aaaron Rodgers is 12-10 in the playoffs, won one Super Bowl 15 years ago, switched to the AFC after going 0-4 against the 49eres in the post season, and gets a trip to the playoffs this year because the Ravens imploded. He slingshots up three rows, above Darnold. Darnold might be a liability to turn into a pumpkin -- Rodgers is a liability every time he drops back. Let's see if he survives the Texans' pass rush. Allegheny General is on speed-dial and stretchers are standing by.
It's easy to move Purdy down after putting up 3 points last week, but if we are measuring playoff success, Purdy is 4-2 in the playoffs. Brock can climb this mountain by being the last QB standing. First on the list to knock off the mountain is Jalen Hurts, last year's Super Bowl MVP.
After Week #17:
MM after 17 weeks. Another new face at the top.
There is one more week to play out before the playoff brackets are set. Mahomes Mountain has been in flux without Patrick Mahomes' reign at the top. Drake Maye makes a case for it to be his mountain by being consistently consistent, while Stafford blinked against the Falcons. Purdy has been slowly climbing after returning from injury. He's had back-to-back 5TD games, something no 49er has ever done. This might be the highest Purdy has ever been on the Mountain, in the top six.
This week the 49ers play the Seahawks. Sam Darnold has had some high scoring performances. How will he do against the 49ers defense who've allowed 89 points in their last three games? Will it be another low scoring affair like the 17-13 loss to the 49ers in week #1? Remember, it was Nick Bosa who stopped Darnold in the redzone with a strip sack to seal the win. The 49ers D looks a bit different now, 17 weeks later.
Will it be like the Seahawks/Rams, 49ers/Bears where it's a race to 40 points. Would the committee even consider moving Purdy higher, to his rightful place above the prince? Will Darnold perform well in a primetime game where everything is on the line or will his ghosts come back to haunt him?
Make your prediction now.
After Week #16:
MM after 16 weeks. Things are getting interesting.
What is happening with QBs in the league right now? The titular Mahomes is out. Stafford has been reigning QB since Week #9. Flacco, Rivers, and Rodgers are not only on the mountain, they're climbing it. Last year's MVP is struggling, yet might be the best QB in the AFC side of the playoff bracket. The Super Bowl MVP is up, then down, then meh. Between injuries, woefully unprepared young quarterbacks, and regressing veterans there is a revolving door of tryouts essentially as teams bring in everything from nepos to retired grandparents to operate their offenses. Do you want brute strength and no brains, or football IQ without the arm to match?
The Bake Show is over. Trevor a top 3 QB? Herbert top 6? Why do I not find their performances impressive? They have talent -- I'd like to see them use it. Meanwhile Purdy is back to form. He's 6th in yards per attempt, 5th in rating, and if you're saying, "I like my ratings out of 100, not this 158.3 nonsense," he is #1 overall in QBR.
If the mountain weren't such a broad tapestry and was narrowed to rating only, Stafford would still be at the top. Goff and Maye would be row two. Allen, Purdy, and Lamar would be on row three. Lawrence would be closer to the bottom at 18th. Mac Jones' rating is better than Burrow's and Herbert's. "But Herbert has talent," you say. And yet the 49ers backup QB has about as much production as the Chargers starter. Backups that are better than starters should be on the Mountain.
Purdy and Caleb face off Sunday night. The 49ers defense allows a lot of yards. Will they stop Caleb from scoring? Will Purdy have another 5 TD game and move up another rung? Will First Things First ever admit the mountain is right-to-left? Will ESPN come to their senses and add me to their panel?
What do you think happens Sunday when the Bears come to Santa Clara? Make your prediction now.
After Week #15:
Patrick Mahomes is officially off Mahomes Mountain. Stafford has planted his flag at the top.
Heading into Week 16, Purdy moves up. Since his return, the 49ers offensive points per game has steadily risen. Next up is the Colts and Philip Rivers. Darnold slid down a row after playing the Colts defense and eeking out a win with only 18 points. How will Brock Purdy do? It's too bad Daniel Jones got injured before this 49ers / Colts matchup. Picking off Grandpa Rivers will have to do.
After Week #14:
We're not renaming the mountain quite yet, but Stafford is still at the top. Mahomes is the lowest he's ever been.
The 49ers and Brock Purdy had a bye week so he stays in row 2. Next up is Cam Ward and the Titans. Cam is currently off the mountain.
After Week #13:
Stafford still on top after his worst performance of the year against the Panthers.
The 49ers have a bye this week. They face the Titans in two weeks. The Titan's QB is Cam Ward. The mountain hasn't been kind to Ward.
After Week #12:
MM after 12 weeks. Stafford reigns. Tom Brady makes an appearance.
Purdy slid after throwing 3 picks in a win against the Panthers. Next week the 49ers face the browns. Who is the Browns QB right now? Can you pick them out of the mountain?
After Week #11:
MM after 11 weeks. The mountain may be named after Mahomes, but it's Stafford's Summit. Consensus is he's quickly consolidating MVP votes.
Purdy is back and has to start the climb from the bottom of the mountain. According to the mountain, Mac Jones was playing at a higher level than Purdy, but Mac is back at base camp now and Purdy has started his ascent. If Brock has another good performance this week, taking on Bryce and the Panthers on MNF, he could hop over any of those row three guys that have been sliding as of late.
After Week #10:
MM after 10 weeks. Stafford remains at the top for the second week.
Mac Jones moves up again to his highest spot on the mountain yet, just as Brock Purdy is set to return. The Niners face Brissett and the Cardinals in Week #11.
After Week #9:
MM heading into week #10. Mahomes slides to row 3 and Stafford is the new King of the Mountain.
Mac Jones and the 49ers defeated Dart and the New York Giants handily. Mac and Dart swap positions. Both QBs played okay. Dart has to do more to get wins from the Giants squad compared to Jones. 49ers players are all well coached. I'd have left Mac and Dart where they were.
For the second time this season the 49ers head into the week facing the QB that sits atop the mountain. It didn't end well when they encountered Baker Mayfield. They have taken down Stafford and the Rams once already in LA. Can they do it again in Santa Clara?
After Week #8:
Lots of inconsistent play at the quarterback position. The bottom two rows are all struggling. With all the injured QBs off the mountain, there is lots to debate over who belongs in the top six.
Mac can't go any lower so he stays in the bottom row. Stroud moves up after his performance against the 49ers practice squad on defense. Stroud made some mistakes that a better team would have made him pay for. The 49ers have nobody left to rush the QB. It'd be concerning if he hadn't done well.
Dart, whom the Niners see next week, moves down, but is still above Mac. So again the 49ers face a team with a better QB. Can Dart keep up his spiritful play without his counterpart Skattebo, against a broken 49ers defense? Or will Mac Jones get the ball to CMC enough times to take advantage of a Giants defense ranked 29th overall, 30th in run defense, and allowing 27 points-per-game (27th).
After Week #7:
MM heading into Week #8. Mahomes back on top. More QBs are off the mountain.
Mac and Penix stay put. Neither had an impressive game. Penix could drop with some of the mistakes he made that were the difference in the loss to the 49ers.
Next up is C.J. Stroud, in Houston, who has been struggling. Mac will be starting again for the 49ers. Can Mac and the 49ers take down another team with a better ranked QB? Make your predictions.
After Week #6:
MM heading into Week #7. Baker stays atop the mountain.
Baker Mayfield sits on top again after his performance against the 49ers. Mac Jones slides and the 49ers face another team, Atlanta, with a QB (Penix) ascending Mahomes Mountain.
After Week #5:
MM heading into Week #6. Baker Mayfield is just the sixth QB to reach the top of the mountain.
The 49ers visit the Buccaneers next week at a time when their QB, Baker, has played his way to the top of Mahomes Mountain. Mac Jones has been moving up, too. Who will prevail?
After Week #4:
MM at the start of Week #5. Steady QBs are sliding down the mountain and some new names are taking advantage.
Both 49er QBs made the mountain heading into Thursday night against the Rams, and that's not a good thing. Purdy slides down beside Mac Jones. Who's better right now Purdy or Mac? Is the mountain left-to-right? The committee would say, "No."
After Week #3:
MM at the start of Week #4. Not much movement.
There is a lot of mediocrity at the QB position right now. Maybe it should only be two rows. A few at the top and everybody else. Who is going to step up?
After Week #2:
MM at the start of Week #3. QBs out for multiple weeks like Purdy, Burrow, are in the mountain's medical tent.
As predicted Mac Jones makes an appearance on the mountain. Lamar is King of the mountain, but faces Mahomes and KC in week 3.
After Week #1:
MM to start the 2025 season. Spencer Rattler [NO] and Russell Wilson [NYG] are down here off the mountain.
Could Mac Jones make an appearance after a decent Week 2 performance?