Patrick Mahomes made his exit known.
Earlier today, Patrick Mahomes declared his retirement been February 1, 2024
When asked about facing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game, quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens laughed.
Jackson declared on Wednesday, “I don’t like competing against him at all.”
Jackson has suffered the most losses of any quarterback (in the regular season or playoffs) after losing three of their four matchups with Mahomes.
“A superb quarterback, he is. Without a doubt, he is a Hall of Famer. It’s obvious,” Jackson remarked. “I think it’s just two incredible, up-and-coming athletes fighting head-to-head, much like a heavyweight bout.”
Two NFL Most Valuable Player quarterbacks under 30 years old will face off in the playoffs for the first time in NFL history. For the seventh time since 2020, both starting quarterbacks in this conference championship game have won at least one NFL MVP award prior to the contest.
Additionally, it will be Jackson and Mahomes’ first postseason meeting when they play on Sunday.
“I’m confident that this will be the first of many games like this that we play in as our careers progress,” Mahomes remarked.
Through the first six seasons (58-19), Jackson has the second-best regular-season record (58-19) among starting quarterbacks, only surpassed by Mahomes. In order to tie Mahomes’ record of two NFL MVP awards, Jackson is the clear favorite to earn his second one.
But Mahomes has the Super Bowl championship that Jackson desires. Two times, counting the previous season, Mahomes has raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“You have to go through a champion in order to be a champion,” Jackson stated. “So, that’s the general frame of mind.”
Jackson has averaged 187.5 yards passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions in four outings against Kansas City. However, Jackson has evolved since his 2021 game against the Chiefs.
Jackson recorded career highs in passing yards (3,678) and completion percentage (67.2%) during this season. He has performed at the highest level against the greatest, defeating ten teams that had winning records at the end of the season—more than any other quarterback since ESPN Stats & Information started keeping track of this in 2000.
Mahomes stated, “He’s going to win the MVP for a reason.” “He leads his team; he ventures out.” He sprints, throws, scores, and exerts all necessary effort to win. That’s what the truly exceptional do. Not only will our defense face a formidable obstacle, but the offensive facing their defense will also face an equally formidable one. Therefore, if we want to figure out a means to win, it will require a whole team effort.
