Lamar Jackson Jokes He Doesn't 'Like Competing Against' Patrick Mahomes: 'He's a Great Quarterback'
The Baltimore Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs game will mark the first time two former league MVPs under the age of 30 will play one another in the playoffs
Lamar Jackson is speaking out in advance of Sunday's AFC championship game featuring his Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs
Jackson said the matchup will be like a "heavyweight fight" and that Patrick Mahomes is a future Hall of Famer and "great quarterback"
In his comments to the media, Mahomes returned the compliments, and said Jackson is "going to be the MVP for a reason"
Lamar Jackson is ready for the “heavyweight matchup” that is his face-off with Patrick Mahomes.
When the two quarterbacks and their teams, the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs, play on Sunday, it will be the first time two former MVP signal-callers under the age of 30 will meet one another in the playoffs — and Jackson is ready to make history, if not for the challenge itself.
“I don’t like competing against him at all,” Jackson, 27, joked to reporters on Wednesday about Mahomes.
As he looks forward to the game, the Ravens star offered his own scouting report on the 28-year-old, two-time Super Bowl winner.
"He’s a great quarterback. Definitely a Hall of Famer,” Jackson said. “It’s a no-brainer, he’s definitely a Hall of Famer.”
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Jackson, the 2019 league MVP who stands on the cusp of winning the honor a second time, added: “I believe it’s two greats, two up-and-coming greats going toe to toe like a heavyweight fight, heavyweight matchup, that’s what I see.”
For Mahomes’ part, the Chiefs quarterback is relishing the opportunity to square off against Jackson.
“I’ve admired watching him from afar and know it’s going to be a great challenge for us every time we go up against him,” Mahomes told reporters on Wednesday.
He added, "He's going to be the MVP for a reason."
The Chiefs will travel to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for the AFC championship game on Sunday, which will air at 3 ET on CBS.
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