TAMPA, Fla. — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spots the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady across the field on Thursday evening, he’ll be seeking at much more than just the opposing quarterback.
He’ll be seeking at the particular person he has been chasing considering that his early days in the NFL.
It’s not Brady’s records, MVP awards or GOAT status that Jackson covets. And in spite of the buzz about Jackson’s contract predicament — he’s in his fifth and final year of his rookie deal — it really is not Brady’s contract that fuels Jackson’s pursuit.
“I often remind men and women, if you have ever heard Lamar speak, it really is often about Super Bowls,” stated Joshua Harris, Jackson’s longtime former private throwing coach. “That’s his mindset. Tom Brady wins Super Bowls, so that is what he desires. He’s the gold common.”
Watch reside on Oct. 30: Broncos vs. Jaguars in London, only on ESPN+
Ask Jackson about his favored memory developing up, and he’ll inform you about winning the Super Bowl of the South Florida Youth Football League at age 11. Nine years later, Jackson was chosen in the 1st round by the Ravens and declared on the draft stage: “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
When Brady temporarily retired in February, he captioned a image of him and Jackson shaking hands and he wrote Jackson was “subsequent.” Some believed it was Brady’s way of passing the torch of becoming the game’s best QB. Jackson had a diverse interpretation.
“I would say, hopefully, I’m subsequent to win the Super Bowl,” Jackson stated Monday. “He’s got seven of them, so hopefully, that is what I’m subsequent to [do].”
Being constant, rather than becoming a Super Bowl contender, is the existing aim for each clubs as they meet at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday (eight:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
Brady is dealing with becoming beneath .500 seven games into the season for the 1st time considering that 2002. The Bucs (three-four) have lost 4 of 5, like two in a row, with the low point becoming a 21-three loss at Carolina on Sunday.
Jackson, meanwhile, began the season at a blistering pace but has had challenges in fourth quarters. The Ravens (four-three) are just the third group in the previous ten years to have led by double-digits in each and every of their 1st seven games, however they have lost 3. Despite Jackson’s occasional miscues, he’s nonetheless No. five in QBR (63.1).
Downplaying the private matchup, Jackson stated he’s not playing against Brady, but rather the opposing defense. Yet there is a distinctive bond amongst the two that has played out on social media dating to prior to Jackson was drafted. The mutual admiration is apparent, and — at least from Jackson’s point of view — is primarily based on a easy premise.
“I’m attempting to chase Brady,” Jackson stated prior to his 1st playoff look in January 2019. “I’m not worried about any other quarterback, since he’s got [multiple] Super Bowls.
“I’ve got to get my 1st a single, and then it really is on.”
Two weeks prior to the 2018 draft, an NFL Network analyst recommended on social media that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could possibly want a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson as maybe Brady’s heir apparent. Brady responded with, “He’s a beast!!!!” and added a thumbs-up emoji.
Jackson replied that the GOAT had spoken.
But the Patriots went in a diverse path with their two 1st-round picks, and Jackson and Brady would be competitors, rather than teammates.
Jackson proved to be each and every bit as dominant as Brady imagined. In 2019, he became only the second player in NFL history to be a unanimous MVP. Brady was the 1st.
Jackson’s MVP run integrated a 37-20 victory more than the Patriots in the only time he has faced Brady. Jackson scored 3 touchdowns, operating for two, as he outdueled Brady, who threw a TD pass and an interception.
“Good luck to you, bro, you are carrying out some wonderful stuff,” Brady told Jackson as they met on the field immediately after the game. “Big fan.”
Three years later, as their rematch nears, the admiration remains.
“I just feel extremely hugely of him,” Brady stated on Tuesday, explaining the motivation behind the “subsequent” post. “I feel he’s got a wonderful future.”
Some say Brady sees element of his story in Jackson. They have been overlooked and underappreciated all through the draft procedure. Both have been thrown into beginning roles early in their careers immediately after veteran quarterbacks got injured, and they swiftly climbed to the best of the league.
Brady was a skinny and slow prospect who fell to the sixth round in 2000. By his second season, Brady led the winning, fourth-quarter drive in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Nearly two decades later, Jackson was deemed a project in the 2018 draft since he wasn’t the classic pocket passer, and he fell to the final choose of the 1st round. By his second season, Jackson became the youngest quarterback to win MVP (22 years, 356 days old).
“I feel Tom sees his story in Lamar and desires him to be wonderful since he knows it really is in him,” stated Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, who grew up a Patriots fan in Massachusetts. “He knows he has that want.”
:39
Rex Ryan weighs in on how Lamar Jackson’s contract predicament is affecting his play.
As Ravens Hall of Famer Ray Lewis escorted a 22-year-old Jackson about group facilities in January 2019 through a tv interview, he asked regardless of whether there is a ceiling to what he can achieve.
There’s no ceiling, stated Jackson, who then stated his aim of wanting to be like Brady and bring many titles to Baltimore.
The fascinating element of Jackson wanting to be like Brady is how diverse their games are. Brady is bearing down on becoming the 1st player in NFL history to best one hundred,000 passing yards, like the playoffs. He’s 489 yards away.
Jackson is a single of the most prolific operating quarterbacks in NFL history. He has rushed for at least 50 yards in six straight games, which is 3 shy of the longest such streak in his profession.
But there are similarities.
“They each just carry that self-assurance, like they are going to go out there and dominate each and every time they step on the field,” stated Bucs receiver Breshad Perriman, who was with the Ravens when Jackson was drafted. “You just know [Lamar is] going out there attempting to kill, and Tom is the exact same way.
“They have higher expectations for themselves, and they just carry themselves in that manner.”
And there is the age distinction. Jackson, 25, was three years old when Brady threw his 1st NFL pass in 2000.
“He’s an awesome player,” Brady, 45, stated this week. “He challenges defenses.
“He has a seriously distinctive talent set. His capability to improvise, make plays with his legs, extended plays, and they do a excellent job with that offense. He’s definitely extremely hazardous with the ball in his hands.”
Tedy Bruschi, an ESPN analyst who won 3 Super Bowls with Brady in New England, says he believes Brady sees the future of the quarterback position in dual-threat players like Jackson.
“Tom’s a extremely forward thinker,” Bruschi stated. “He’s seeking about the league at exactly where the quarterback position is going. The athletes on the defensive side of the ball are just as well excellent now. With the stress that they are in a position to produce by means of all of the blitzes that come at them, there has to be an additional element to the quarterback.
“I feel, possibly, that is what he meant about [saying Jackson is next], just being aware of that the subsequent a single, that is going to be an individual specific that is related to Lamar, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes.”
Depending on what Brady decides about coming back for a 24th season, Thursday evening could possibly be the final time Brady and Jackson face each and every other on the football field, unless they meet in the Super Bowl. There’s a lot at stake for each and every group, and according to Jackson’s former throwing coach, there could possibly even be an unspoken motivation for a single of the quarterbacks.
“[Jackson] will in no way say it, but I feel he desires to win [over Brady] once more,” Harris stated. “He’s a competitor. He desires to earn the respect of the GOAT. He desires the GOAT to be like, ‘Hey, that guy can play. He’s a winner.'”
ESPN Bucs reporter Jenna Laine contributed to this story
TAMPA, Fla. — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spots the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady across the field on Thursday evening, he’ll be seeking at much more than just the opposing quarterback.
He’ll be seeking at the particular person he has been chasing considering that his early days in the NFL.
It’s not Brady’s records, MVP awards or GOAT status that Jackson covets. And in spite of the buzz about Jackson’s contract predicament — he’s in his fifth and final year of his rookie deal — it really is not Brady’s contract that fuels Jackson’s pursuit.
“I often remind men and women, if you have ever heard Lamar speak, it really is often about Super Bowls,” stated Joshua Harris, Jackson’s longtime former private throwing coach. “That’s his mindset. Tom Brady wins Super Bowls, so that is what he desires. He’s the gold common.”
Watch reside on Oct. 30: Broncos vs. Jaguars in London, only on ESPN+
Ask Jackson about his favored memory developing up, and he’ll inform you about winning the Super Bowl of the South Florida Youth Football League at age 11. Nine years later, Jackson was chosen in the 1st round by the Ravens and declared on the draft stage: “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
When Brady temporarily retired in February, he captioned a image of him and Jackson shaking hands and he wrote Jackson was “subsequent.” Some believed it was Brady’s way of passing the torch of becoming the game’s best QB. Jackson had a diverse interpretation.
“I would say, hopefully, I’m subsequent to win the Super Bowl,” Jackson stated Monday. “He’s got seven of them, so hopefully, that is what I’m subsequent to [do].”
Being constant, rather than becoming a Super Bowl contender, is the existing aim for each clubs as they meet at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday (eight:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
Brady is dealing with becoming beneath .500 seven games into the season for the 1st time considering that 2002. The Bucs (three-four) have lost 4 of 5, like two in a row, with the low point becoming a 21-three loss at Carolina on Sunday.
Jackson, meanwhile, began the season at a blistering pace but has had challenges in fourth quarters. The Ravens (four-three) are just the third group in the previous ten years to have led by double-digits in each and every of their 1st seven games, however they have lost 3. Despite Jackson’s occasional miscues, he’s nonetheless No. five in QBR (63.1).
Downplaying the private matchup, Jackson stated he’s not playing against Brady, but rather the opposing defense. Yet there is a distinctive bond amongst the two that has played out on social media dating to prior to Jackson was drafted. The mutual admiration is apparent, and — at least from Jackson’s point of view — is primarily based on a easy premise.
“I’m attempting to chase Brady,” Jackson stated prior to his 1st playoff look in January 2019. “I’m not worried about any other quarterback, since he’s got [multiple] Super Bowls.
“I’ve got to get my 1st a single, and then it really is on.”
Two weeks prior to the 2018 draft, an NFL Network analyst recommended on social media that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could possibly want a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson as maybe Brady’s heir apparent. Brady responded with, “He’s a beast!!!!” and added a thumbs-up emoji.
Jackson replied that the GOAT had spoken.
But the Patriots went in a diverse path with their two 1st-round picks, and Jackson and Brady would be competitors, rather than teammates.
Jackson proved to be each and every bit as dominant as Brady imagined. In 2019, he became only the second player in NFL history to be a unanimous MVP. Brady was the 1st.
Jackson’s MVP run integrated a 37-20 victory more than the Patriots in the only time he has faced Brady. Jackson scored 3 touchdowns, operating for two, as he outdueled Brady, who threw a TD pass and an interception.
“Good luck to you, bro, you are carrying out some wonderful stuff,” Brady told Jackson as they met on the field immediately after the game. “Big fan.”
Three years later, as their rematch nears, the admiration remains.
“I just feel extremely hugely of him,” Brady stated on Tuesday, explaining the motivation behind the “subsequent” post. “I feel he’s got a wonderful future.”
Some say Brady sees element of his story in Jackson. They have been overlooked and underappreciated all through the draft procedure. Both have been thrown into beginning roles early in their careers immediately after veteran quarterbacks got injured, and they swiftly climbed to the best of the league.
Brady was a skinny and slow prospect who fell to the sixth round in 2000. By his second season, Brady led the winning, fourth-quarter drive in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Nearly two decades later, Jackson was deemed a project in the 2018 draft since he wasn’t the classic pocket passer, and he fell to the final choose of the 1st round. By his second season, Jackson became the youngest quarterback to win MVP (22 years, 356 days old).
“I feel Tom sees his story in Lamar and desires him to be wonderful since he knows it really is in him,” stated Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, who grew up a Patriots fan in Massachusetts. “He knows he has that want.”
:39
Rex Ryan weighs in on how Lamar Jackson’s contract predicament is affecting his play.
As Ravens Hall of Famer Ray Lewis escorted a 22-year-old Jackson about group facilities in January 2019 through a tv interview, he asked regardless of whether there is a ceiling to what he can achieve.
There’s no ceiling, stated Jackson, who then stated his aim of wanting to be like Brady and bring many titles to Baltimore.
The fascinating element of Jackson wanting to be like Brady is how diverse their games are. Brady is bearing down on becoming the 1st player in NFL history to best one hundred,000 passing yards, like the playoffs. He’s 489 yards away.
Jackson is a single of the most prolific operating quarterbacks in NFL history. He has rushed for at least 50 yards in six straight games, which is 3 shy of the longest such streak in his profession.
But there are similarities.
“They each just carry that self-assurance, like they are going to go out there and dominate each and every time they step on the field,” stated Bucs receiver Breshad Perriman, who was with the Ravens when Jackson was drafted. “You just know [Lamar is] going out there attempting to kill, and Tom is the exact same way.
“They have higher expectations for themselves, and they just carry themselves in that manner.”
And there is the age distinction. Jackson, 25, was three years old when Brady threw his 1st NFL pass in 2000.
“He’s an awesome player,” Brady, 45, stated this week. “He challenges defenses.
“He has a seriously distinctive talent set. His capability to improvise, make plays with his legs, extended plays, and they do a excellent job with that offense. He’s definitely extremely hazardous with the ball in his hands.”
Tedy Bruschi, an ESPN analyst who won 3 Super Bowls with Brady in New England, says he believes Brady sees the future of the quarterback position in dual-threat players like Jackson.
“Tom’s a extremely forward thinker,” Bruschi stated. “He’s seeking about the league at exactly where the quarterback position is going. The athletes on the defensive side of the ball are just as well excellent now. With the stress that they are in a position to produce by means of all of the blitzes that come at them, there has to be an additional element to the quarterback.
“I feel, possibly, that is what he meant about [saying Jackson is next], just being aware of that the subsequent a single, that is going to be an individual specific that is related to Lamar, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes.”
Depending on what Brady decides about coming back for a 24th season, Thursday evening could possibly be the final time Brady and Jackson face each and every other on the football field, unless they meet in the Super Bowl. There’s a lot at stake for each and every group, and according to Jackson’s former throwing coach, there could possibly even be an unspoken motivation for a single of the quarterbacks.
“[Jackson] will in no way say it, but I feel he desires to win [over Brady] once more,” Harris stated. “He’s a competitor. He desires to earn the respect of the GOAT. He desires the GOAT to be like, ‘Hey, that guy can play. He’s a winner.'”
ESPN Bucs reporter Jenna Laine contributed to this story
TAMPA, Fla. — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spots the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady across the field on Thursday evening, he’ll be seeking at much more than just the opposing quarterback.
He’ll be seeking at the particular person he has been chasing considering that his early days in the NFL.
It’s not Brady’s records, MVP awards or GOAT status that Jackson covets. And in spite of the buzz about Jackson’s contract predicament — he’s in his fifth and final year of his rookie deal — it really is not Brady’s contract that fuels Jackson’s pursuit.
“I often remind men and women, if you have ever heard Lamar speak, it really is often about Super Bowls,” stated Joshua Harris, Jackson’s longtime former private throwing coach. “That’s his mindset. Tom Brady wins Super Bowls, so that is what he desires. He’s the gold common.”
Watch reside on Oct. 30: Broncos vs. Jaguars in London, only on ESPN+
Ask Jackson about his favored memory developing up, and he’ll inform you about winning the Super Bowl of the South Florida Youth Football League at age 11. Nine years later, Jackson was chosen in the 1st round by the Ravens and declared on the draft stage: “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
When Brady temporarily retired in February, he captioned a image of him and Jackson shaking hands and he wrote Jackson was “subsequent.” Some believed it was Brady’s way of passing the torch of becoming the game’s best QB. Jackson had a diverse interpretation.
“I would say, hopefully, I’m subsequent to win the Super Bowl,” Jackson stated Monday. “He’s got seven of them, so hopefully, that is what I’m subsequent to [do].”
Being constant, rather than becoming a Super Bowl contender, is the existing aim for each clubs as they meet at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday (eight:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
Brady is dealing with becoming beneath .500 seven games into the season for the 1st time considering that 2002. The Bucs (three-four) have lost 4 of 5, like two in a row, with the low point becoming a 21-three loss at Carolina on Sunday.
Jackson, meanwhile, began the season at a blistering pace but has had challenges in fourth quarters. The Ravens (four-three) are just the third group in the previous ten years to have led by double-digits in each and every of their 1st seven games, however they have lost 3. Despite Jackson’s occasional miscues, he’s nonetheless No. five in QBR (63.1).
Downplaying the private matchup, Jackson stated he’s not playing against Brady, but rather the opposing defense. Yet there is a distinctive bond amongst the two that has played out on social media dating to prior to Jackson was drafted. The mutual admiration is apparent, and — at least from Jackson’s point of view — is primarily based on a easy premise.
“I’m attempting to chase Brady,” Jackson stated prior to his 1st playoff look in January 2019. “I’m not worried about any other quarterback, since he’s got [multiple] Super Bowls.
“I’ve got to get my 1st a single, and then it really is on.”
Two weeks prior to the 2018 draft, an NFL Network analyst recommended on social media that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could possibly want a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson as maybe Brady’s heir apparent. Brady responded with, “He’s a beast!!!!” and added a thumbs-up emoji.
Jackson replied that the GOAT had spoken.
But the Patriots went in a diverse path with their two 1st-round picks, and Jackson and Brady would be competitors, rather than teammates.
Jackson proved to be each and every bit as dominant as Brady imagined. In 2019, he became only the second player in NFL history to be a unanimous MVP. Brady was the 1st.
Jackson’s MVP run integrated a 37-20 victory more than the Patriots in the only time he has faced Brady. Jackson scored 3 touchdowns, operating for two, as he outdueled Brady, who threw a TD pass and an interception.
“Good luck to you, bro, you are carrying out some wonderful stuff,” Brady told Jackson as they met on the field immediately after the game. “Big fan.”
Three years later, as their rematch nears, the admiration remains.
“I just feel extremely hugely of him,” Brady stated on Tuesday, explaining the motivation behind the “subsequent” post. “I feel he’s got a wonderful future.”
Some say Brady sees element of his story in Jackson. They have been overlooked and underappreciated all through the draft procedure. Both have been thrown into beginning roles early in their careers immediately after veteran quarterbacks got injured, and they swiftly climbed to the best of the league.
Brady was a skinny and slow prospect who fell to the sixth round in 2000. By his second season, Brady led the winning, fourth-quarter drive in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Nearly two decades later, Jackson was deemed a project in the 2018 draft since he wasn’t the classic pocket passer, and he fell to the final choose of the 1st round. By his second season, Jackson became the youngest quarterback to win MVP (22 years, 356 days old).
“I feel Tom sees his story in Lamar and desires him to be wonderful since he knows it really is in him,” stated Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, who grew up a Patriots fan in Massachusetts. “He knows he has that want.”
:39
Rex Ryan weighs in on how Lamar Jackson’s contract predicament is affecting his play.
As Ravens Hall of Famer Ray Lewis escorted a 22-year-old Jackson about group facilities in January 2019 through a tv interview, he asked regardless of whether there is a ceiling to what he can achieve.
There’s no ceiling, stated Jackson, who then stated his aim of wanting to be like Brady and bring many titles to Baltimore.
The fascinating element of Jackson wanting to be like Brady is how diverse their games are. Brady is bearing down on becoming the 1st player in NFL history to best one hundred,000 passing yards, like the playoffs. He’s 489 yards away.
Jackson is a single of the most prolific operating quarterbacks in NFL history. He has rushed for at least 50 yards in six straight games, which is 3 shy of the longest such streak in his profession.
But there are similarities.
“They each just carry that self-assurance, like they are going to go out there and dominate each and every time they step on the field,” stated Bucs receiver Breshad Perriman, who was with the Ravens when Jackson was drafted. “You just know [Lamar is] going out there attempting to kill, and Tom is the exact same way.
“They have higher expectations for themselves, and they just carry themselves in that manner.”
And there is the age distinction. Jackson, 25, was three years old when Brady threw his 1st NFL pass in 2000.
“He’s an awesome player,” Brady, 45, stated this week. “He challenges defenses.
“He has a seriously distinctive talent set. His capability to improvise, make plays with his legs, extended plays, and they do a excellent job with that offense. He’s definitely extremely hazardous with the ball in his hands.”
Tedy Bruschi, an ESPN analyst who won 3 Super Bowls with Brady in New England, says he believes Brady sees the future of the quarterback position in dual-threat players like Jackson.
“Tom’s a extremely forward thinker,” Bruschi stated. “He’s seeking about the league at exactly where the quarterback position is going. The athletes on the defensive side of the ball are just as well excellent now. With the stress that they are in a position to produce by means of all of the blitzes that come at them, there has to be an additional element to the quarterback.
“I feel, possibly, that is what he meant about [saying Jackson is next], just being aware of that the subsequent a single, that is going to be an individual specific that is related to Lamar, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes.”
Depending on what Brady decides about coming back for a 24th season, Thursday evening could possibly be the final time Brady and Jackson face each and every other on the football field, unless they meet in the Super Bowl. There’s a lot at stake for each and every group, and according to Jackson’s former throwing coach, there could possibly even be an unspoken motivation for a single of the quarterbacks.
“[Jackson] will in no way say it, but I feel he desires to win [over Brady] once more,” Harris stated. “He’s a competitor. He desires to earn the respect of the GOAT. He desires the GOAT to be like, ‘Hey, that guy can play. He’s a winner.'”
ESPN Bucs reporter Jenna Laine contributed to this story
TAMPA, Fla. — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spots the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady across the field on Thursday evening, he’ll be seeking at much more than just the opposing quarterback.
He’ll be seeking at the particular person he has been chasing considering that his early days in the NFL.
It’s not Brady’s records, MVP awards or GOAT status that Jackson covets. And in spite of the buzz about Jackson’s contract predicament — he’s in his fifth and final year of his rookie deal — it really is not Brady’s contract that fuels Jackson’s pursuit.
“I often remind men and women, if you have ever heard Lamar speak, it really is often about Super Bowls,” stated Joshua Harris, Jackson’s longtime former private throwing coach. “That’s his mindset. Tom Brady wins Super Bowls, so that is what he desires. He’s the gold common.”
Watch reside on Oct. 30: Broncos vs. Jaguars in London, only on ESPN+
Ask Jackson about his favored memory developing up, and he’ll inform you about winning the Super Bowl of the South Florida Youth Football League at age 11. Nine years later, Jackson was chosen in the 1st round by the Ravens and declared on the draft stage: “They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me. Believe that.”
When Brady temporarily retired in February, he captioned a image of him and Jackson shaking hands and he wrote Jackson was “subsequent.” Some believed it was Brady’s way of passing the torch of becoming the game’s best QB. Jackson had a diverse interpretation.
“I would say, hopefully, I’m subsequent to win the Super Bowl,” Jackson stated Monday. “He’s got seven of them, so hopefully, that is what I’m subsequent to [do].”
Being constant, rather than becoming a Super Bowl contender, is the existing aim for each clubs as they meet at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday (eight:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
Brady is dealing with becoming beneath .500 seven games into the season for the 1st time considering that 2002. The Bucs (three-four) have lost 4 of 5, like two in a row, with the low point becoming a 21-three loss at Carolina on Sunday.
Jackson, meanwhile, began the season at a blistering pace but has had challenges in fourth quarters. The Ravens (four-three) are just the third group in the previous ten years to have led by double-digits in each and every of their 1st seven games, however they have lost 3. Despite Jackson’s occasional miscues, he’s nonetheless No. five in QBR (63.1).
Downplaying the private matchup, Jackson stated he’s not playing against Brady, but rather the opposing defense. Yet there is a distinctive bond amongst the two that has played out on social media dating to prior to Jackson was drafted. The mutual admiration is apparent, and — at least from Jackson’s point of view — is primarily based on a easy premise.
“I’m attempting to chase Brady,” Jackson stated prior to his 1st playoff look in January 2019. “I’m not worried about any other quarterback, since he’s got [multiple] Super Bowls.
“I’ve got to get my 1st a single, and then it really is on.”
Two weeks prior to the 2018 draft, an NFL Network analyst recommended on social media that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could possibly want a dual-threat quarterback like Jackson as maybe Brady’s heir apparent. Brady responded with, “He’s a beast!!!!” and added a thumbs-up emoji.
Jackson replied that the GOAT had spoken.
But the Patriots went in a diverse path with their two 1st-round picks, and Jackson and Brady would be competitors, rather than teammates.
Jackson proved to be each and every bit as dominant as Brady imagined. In 2019, he became only the second player in NFL history to be a unanimous MVP. Brady was the 1st.
Jackson’s MVP run integrated a 37-20 victory more than the Patriots in the only time he has faced Brady. Jackson scored 3 touchdowns, operating for two, as he outdueled Brady, who threw a TD pass and an interception.
“Good luck to you, bro, you are carrying out some wonderful stuff,” Brady told Jackson as they met on the field immediately after the game. “Big fan.”
Three years later, as their rematch nears, the admiration remains.
“I just feel extremely hugely of him,” Brady stated on Tuesday, explaining the motivation behind the “subsequent” post. “I feel he’s got a wonderful future.”
Some say Brady sees element of his story in Jackson. They have been overlooked and underappreciated all through the draft procedure. Both have been thrown into beginning roles early in their careers immediately after veteran quarterbacks got injured, and they swiftly climbed to the best of the league.
Brady was a skinny and slow prospect who fell to the sixth round in 2000. By his second season, Brady led the winning, fourth-quarter drive in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Nearly two decades later, Jackson was deemed a project in the 2018 draft since he wasn’t the classic pocket passer, and he fell to the final choose of the 1st round. By his second season, Jackson became the youngest quarterback to win MVP (22 years, 356 days old).
“I feel Tom sees his story in Lamar and desires him to be wonderful since he knows it really is in him,” stated Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, who grew up a Patriots fan in Massachusetts. “He knows he has that want.”
:39
Rex Ryan weighs in on how Lamar Jackson’s contract predicament is affecting his play.
As Ravens Hall of Famer Ray Lewis escorted a 22-year-old Jackson about group facilities in January 2019 through a tv interview, he asked regardless of whether there is a ceiling to what he can achieve.
There’s no ceiling, stated Jackson, who then stated his aim of wanting to be like Brady and bring many titles to Baltimore.
The fascinating element of Jackson wanting to be like Brady is how diverse their games are. Brady is bearing down on becoming the 1st player in NFL history to best one hundred,000 passing yards, like the playoffs. He’s 489 yards away.
Jackson is a single of the most prolific operating quarterbacks in NFL history. He has rushed for at least 50 yards in six straight games, which is 3 shy of the longest such streak in his profession.
But there are similarities.
“They each just carry that self-assurance, like they are going to go out there and dominate each and every time they step on the field,” stated Bucs receiver Breshad Perriman, who was with the Ravens when Jackson was drafted. “You just know [Lamar is] going out there attempting to kill, and Tom is the exact same way.
“They have higher expectations for themselves, and they just carry themselves in that manner.”
And there is the age distinction. Jackson, 25, was three years old when Brady threw his 1st NFL pass in 2000.
“He’s an awesome player,” Brady, 45, stated this week. “He challenges defenses.
“He has a seriously distinctive talent set. His capability to improvise, make plays with his legs, extended plays, and they do a excellent job with that offense. He’s definitely extremely hazardous with the ball in his hands.”
Tedy Bruschi, an ESPN analyst who won 3 Super Bowls with Brady in New England, says he believes Brady sees the future of the quarterback position in dual-threat players like Jackson.
“Tom’s a extremely forward thinker,” Bruschi stated. “He’s seeking about the league at exactly where the quarterback position is going. The athletes on the defensive side of the ball are just as well excellent now. With the stress that they are in a position to produce by means of all of the blitzes that come at them, there has to be an additional element to the quarterback.
“I feel, possibly, that is what he meant about [saying Jackson is next], just being aware of that the subsequent a single, that is going to be an individual specific that is related to Lamar, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes.”
Depending on what Brady decides about coming back for a 24th season, Thursday evening could possibly be the final time Brady and Jackson face each and every other on the football field, unless they meet in the Super Bowl. There’s a lot at stake for each and every group, and according to Jackson’s former throwing coach, there could possibly even be an unspoken motivation for a single of the quarterbacks.
“[Jackson] will in no way say it, but I feel he desires to win [over Brady] once more,” Harris stated. “He’s a competitor. He desires to earn the respect of the GOAT. He desires the GOAT to be like, ‘Hey, that guy can play. He’s a winner.'”
ESPN Bucs reporter Jenna Laine contributed to this story
