Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes ahead of playoff matchup with Ravens' Lamar Jackson: 'He's going to be the MVP for a reason'

Sunday's AFC Championship Game marks the first time in NFL history two former league MVPs both under the age of 30 will face off in a playoff game.

Patrick Mahomes and his reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs head to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the No. 1 seeded Ravens in a showdown for the AFC crown.

During Championship Wednesday news conferences, both quarterbacks talked up the other's special gifts.

"He's going to be the MVP for a reason," Mahomes said of Jackson, projecting the Baltimore quarterback to win the award for 2023. "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."

If Jackson wins Most Valuable Player this season, Sunday will have been the third-ever playoff matchup between the reigning MVP and the current season MVP (Mahomes won in 2022). Others include the 2018 AFC Championship between reigning MVP Tom Brady (won) and soon-to-be MVP Mahomes, and the 1995 Divisional Round between reigning MVP Steve Young and Brett Favre (won).

Jackson was asked what he likes about competing against a two-time MVP in Mahomes.

"I don't like competing against him at all," he laughed. "He's a great quarterback. Definite Hall of Famer. That's a no-brainer. He's definitely a Hall of Famer. I believe it's just two greats, two up-and-coming greats going toe to toe like a heavyweight fight. Heavyweight matchup, that's what I see."

Were he to take home the MVP award, Jackson would become the second-youngest player (and the youngest QB) to win multiple MVP awards in a career -- Jackson turned 27 the day after Baltimore's final regular season game (Jan. 7th). only Jim Brown won multiple MVP awards at a younger age (22 years, 300 days).

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