Patrick Mahomes Has Great Admiration for Ravens’ Lamar Jackson: ‘He’s Gonna Be MVP’

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has nothing but respect for his opponent in Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the two prepare to face off in the AFC championship on Sunday.

“He’s gonna be the MVP for a reason,” Mahomes told reporters on Wednesday. “He goes out there, he leads his team. He scores, he runs, he throws, he does whatever it takes to win and that’s what the greats do. It’ll be a great challenge for our defense.”

When asked further about what parts of Jackson’s game that he particularly appreciates, Mahomes didn’t hesitate.

“The biggest thing that you like to see in another quarterback is how they improve every single year,” he said. “Obviously, everybody talks about his running, but you can see how he’s developed as a passer, throwing from within the pocket, arm angles, making the accurate throw in big situations in big moments, and that’s what the great quarterbacks do. He continues to get better and better every single year.”

“He’s gonna be the MVP for a reason.”@PatrickMahomes understands that competing against Lamar in the AFC Championship will not be easy. pic.twitter.com/INfWOiMAQ8
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 24, 2024

While Sunday is the first time the two quarterbacks have faced each other in the playoffs when the stakes are highest, Mahomes knows this certainly won’t be the last he’ll see of Jackson as both quarterbacks chase a Super Bowl.

“I knew we were gonna play in a lot of games like this as our careers go on and I’m sure this will be the first of many,” Mahomes concluded.

The Ravens and Chiefs are set to kick off from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.