The search for the next great never stops, even during the active period of the current great. In this case, we’re talking about the greatest quarterback to ever play, which most would argue is Tom Brady. Purportedly finally retired, the prevailing opinion is that Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs would be the next in line, already with two Super Bowls in five seasons as a starter.
Even Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, who would be widely regarded as among the top two or three in the game, made it very clear that he believes Mahomes has a stranglehold on the right to that title right now. So, too, does Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
But in the opinion of Emmanuel Acho of Fox Sports 1, the only player in the league right now who even has the positioning to challenge Mahomes status is neither Burrow nor Allen, but rather Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
“You need to have equity to do it”, he said, via Kevin Eck for the Ravens’ website. “Even if Josh Allen were to come out and have the best season possible, he would only have one MVP, one Super Bowl MVP, and one Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson has already proven himself to be a unanimous league MVP, something that even Mahomes hasn’t done”.
Jackson became the youngest player to ever win the league MVP award in 2019, and was also just the second player to win it unanimously. His career hasn’t necessarily followed a consistent upward trend since then, though, often tied to injuries. But if he can put together a healthy season this year, there’s no telling what he can do.
“If he has a dream season, two regular-season MVPs, then a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP, he would still be shy a Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP, but at least an argument can be had”, Acho said of Jackson. Neither Allen nor Burrow have yet won a Super Bowl nor any kind of MVP. Burrow reached the Super Bowl in 2021 and went to the Pro Bowl in 2022. Allen has been to the Pro Bowl twice and was a second-team All-Pro in 2020, twice finishing in the top three for MVP voting (losing to Aaron Rodgers and Mahomes).
The most notable statistic for Jackson, to his credit, is his 45-16 record as a starter since entering the league. Mahomes is the only quarterback with a better winning percentage in the league. There’s no denying the Ravens’ success when he’s been under center.
The big obstacle, of course, is the postseason. Injuries have prevented him from participating for the past two years—the Ravens didn’t even make it without him down the stretch in 2021—but he is 1-3 in the playoffs from 2018-2020. If he adds a Super Bowl to his resume this year, what does that do for his legacy, even just six seasons into his career?
