Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the same football field, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, comes with all the theatrics of a heavyweight bout for Sunday.
Fans will look at this like it’s the NFL quarterback version of Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James. Both quarterbacks have emerged as marketable, household names while revolutionizing offenses across the league, as teams have looked for their own Mahomes or Jackson to lead them.
Both past league MVPs will be a part of history at M&T Bank Stadium for the AFC Championship Game. It turns out they’ve already made history.
What Have Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson Already Accomplished?
According to the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens franchise passers have made this new, historic league mark.
“The AFC Championship will be the first-ever playoff matchup between former MVP quarterbacks both under age 30,” per NFL Research.
Mahomes is 28 years of age. Jackson is younger at 27. Both, though, have already won a combined three league MVP trophies. The Ravens’ QB1 is considered the heavy favorite to win this season’s top individual honor.
This new mark has further emboldened fan interest ahead of this upcoming AFC title game battle.
“The AFC Championship between two former MVP quarterbacks who are both under the age of 30 sounds like a must-watch matchup. It’s always thrilling to see young talent shine on the big stage,” one fan posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
What Were the Ages of Past Conference Title Game QBs?
The AFC title game has blessed fans with many epic quarterback duels.
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Jim Kelly and Joe Montana — even more recently, Mahomes and Joe Burrow come to mind.
MORE: Tom Brady Replies to Mahomes, Kelce Breaking His Record
Surprisingly, not a single AFC Championship Game has featured two MVP-winning quarterbacks who are yet to reach 30 years old.
Even the NFC — which has seen past MVP names like Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young, and Montana — has never witnessed a matchup like this.
How old were some of the more notable conference title game representatives at QB? Were both QBs past MVPs when they met? Here’s a look back:
- Tom Brady and Peyton Manning: Brady hadn’t won the MVP award until the 2007 season. Manning, then with the Indianapolis Colts, won the 2003 honor. Manning was the past MVP for both AFC title games against the New England Patriots. “The Sheriff” was 27 and 30 when he faced Brady and the Pats. Brady was 26 and 29.
- Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow: Only Mahomes was a league MVP representative when the Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals duked it out for the last two AFC title games. Burrow, who is yet to earn MVP honors but has a Pro Bowl nod, was 25 when Cincy stunned Mahomes and Kansas City in 2021.
- Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers: The 2016 season NFC Championship contest featured two passers in their 30s. Ryan was the one who put together the MVP campaign with the Atlanta Falcons. He was 31 at the time. Rodgers, who had two previous MVP awards, was 32.
- Steve Young and Troy Aikman: While these two QBs dominated the 1990s, Young was the lone MVP. The Dallas Cowboys had running back Emmitt Smith as their MVP representative for this storied playoff rivalry. The 33-year-old Young was a two-time winner of the award when he faced Dallas.
- Dan Marino and Jim Kelly: Even these famed members of the stacked 1983 draft class of quarterbacks were up in their NFL years when they met in the 1992 AFC title game. The Buffalo Bills QB had never won the MVP award in his career but came close several times. Marino, meanwhile, was the 1984 winner.
Mahomes and Jackson have earned countless accolades before their 30s. Now, they’re making history that the legends who played before them couldn’t on the Conference Championship stage.
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