OWINGS MILLS — Even though Patrick Mahomes has outdueled Lamar Jackson in their five previous games, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has the utmost respect for his Ravens counterpart.
Mahomes and Jackson meet again in the NFL opener on Thursday night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The game will mark the first time in NFL history that a Week 1 matchup has featured opposing players each with multiple Most Valuable Player awards. It will also mark the first meeting in NFL history in any week to feature opposing players both under the age of 30, each with multiple MVP awards.
“I think more than the athletic ability and the ability to throw, [it’s] the way he competes,” Mahomes said about Jackson. “He’s a guy who competes every single week – you can tell he cares. You can tell he wants to go out there and win, and he wants to put it on his shoulders to take his team to where they can win as many games as possible.
“I think that’s something – that’s truly what it really takes to be a great quarterback in this league, it’s not always about talent. It’s about can you go out there and compete every single week and find the ways – whenever you don’t have your best stuff [or] your team doesn’t have your best stuff, you find a way to win football games that way.”
Mahomes has gone 4-1 head-to-head against Jackson, including a 17-10 victory in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium last season.
The Chiefs are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Jackson is trying to earn his first championship with the Ravens, and a victory over the Chiefs would boost their confidence.
Jackson said he doesn’t know Mahomes that well on a personal level, but he respects his game.
“I don’t have a relationship with [Patrick Mahomes]. I don’t think I have a relationship with any quarterback in the league,” Jackson said. “I don’t take anything from [Mahomes], I just play my game. But he’s a great quarterback. I’m going to say that. He’s a great quarterback. He has the accolades to prove it, and he’s made things happen on the field that makes his team successful.”