Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Praises Bills' Josh Allen: 'I Have a Ton of Respect for Him'

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes discussed his respect for Buffalo Bills counterpart Josh Allen ahead of the teams' highly anticipated Week 6 meeting on Sunday.

"Yeah, when you go up against the other great quarterbacks in the league, you always want to win. You always want to compete," Mahomes told reporters Wednesday. "Josh is a great guy. He's a great quarterback—physically talented, he can throw, can run, he can really do it all. But he's a great dude too. And so, obviously when we're on the football field, we are competing against each other and we want to beat each other's teams, but I have a ton of respect for him the player and person that he is."

Mahomes and Allen combined to put on one of the best shows in NFL playoff history last season, as the Chiefs escaped with a 42-36 overtime victory in a game that saw 25 points scored inside the final two minutes of regulation.

Kansas City and Buffalo are tied atop the AFC standings at 4-1 ahead of Sunday's clash at Arrowhead Stadium, which means the result could play a major role in determining which team ultimately earns the coveted No. 1 seed in the conference.

So, while there's definitely a rivalry between the teams that could last for several years, it's one built on mutual respect between two of the NFL's best players.

"As a football fan myself, when I'm watching a game, I love watching him play," Allen said about Mahomes. "He's a fantastic player. He can do everything you want. His teammates love him, he's got a good grasp of the locker room over there and how he carries himself, the things he does off the field for his charity. He's just a special football player and a special guy."

Expect more fireworks in the latest meeting as both quarterbacks are off to MVP-level starts to the 2022 campaign:

• Allen: 1,651 passing yards, 225 rushing yards, 16 total touchdowns
• Mahomes: 1,398 passing yards, 92 rushing yards, 15 total touchdowns

Kickoff at Arrowhead is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday with the broadcast on CBS.