In a season where Lamar Jackson continues to rewrite the narrative of his career, comparisons to legends like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are becoming more than just speculative talk—they’re becoming inevitable. Lamar Jackson has always been a unique player, a one-of-a-kind athlete who changed the way we think about the quarterback position. But in 2024, Jackson’s play has reached a level where he’s being positioned as one of the best to ever do it, and the narrative is shifting toward his legacy being cemented right alongside the NFL’s all-time greats.

But here’s the catch: while Lamar’s rise has been meteoric, his path to a Super Bowl victory has been hindered by one key factor—the Ravens’ defense. Is Lamar Jackson poised to take the reins as the league’s top player, or will the lack of a championship prevent him from achieving that status? Let’s break it down.

Lamar Jackson: The Best Player in the World Right Now?

Lamar Jackson’s performance in 2024 is hard to ignore. Coming into the season as the MVP favorite, Jackson has put up some of his most impressive stats yet: 24 passing touchdowns, more rushing yards, and an overall efficiency that rivals the best quarterbacks in the league. Jackson is doing it all—leading a top-tier offense, executing perfect plays in clutch moments, and, most impressively, carrying his team when the defense falters. In the Baltimore Ravens’ matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson was flawless in the fourth quarter, completing 11 of 13 passes for three touchdowns in the final frame alone, leading his team to victory.

His performance feels like something out of a superhero movie. But it’s clear—his play is enough to make him the best player in the league, for now. This season, Lamar is playing at an MVP level, and there’s no doubt he’s the best quarterback in the NFL. The debate now is whether that can translate into postseason success.

The Comparison to Peyton Manning

Some might say Lamar Jackson’s dominance this season echoes the early years of Peyton Manning’s career. Manning, like Lamar, was incredibly talented but had some early playoff setbacks. Manning’s regular-season stats were often mind-blowing, and his early playoff exits were seen as part of the narrative before he finally broke through to win his first Super Bowl. The question now for Lamar Jackson is whether he can reach that same level of postseason success.

Manning was known for his incredible regular-season consistency, but it was his ability to adjust, to figure out the postseason puzzle, and to get over that championship hump that solidified his legacy. Lamar Jackson seems to be on the same path—dominant in the regular season, but still needing that elusive postseason victory to truly be considered one of the all-time greats.

If Lamar Jackson wins an MVP this season—and with how he’s playing, it looks likely—he’ll have the same accolade Peyton Manning earned early in his career. But what separates the two is what happens in January. Manning, despite the early failures, eventually won two Super Bowls, and that’s what ultimately defined his legacy.

Patrick Mahomes: The New Tom Brady?

On the other side of the conversation is Patrick Mahomes, the current king of the NFL. Mahomes’ place in this debate is critical because his resume is already exceptional, even with just one Super Bowl win under his belt. His ability to execute under pressure, his innovative style of play, and his consistency have already made him one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Many are already crowning him as the next Tom Brady, and in many ways, that comparison makes sense.

Tom Brady’s career was defined by winning when it mattered most—he didn’t just play well in the regular season; he led his team to a historic seven Super Bowl wins. Mahomes, with his regular-season accolades and already impressive playoff success, is well on his way to achieving a similar level of dominance. His combination of arm strength, mobility, and poise in high-pressure moments is Brady-esque, and it feels like Mahomes is building a legacy that could rival Brady’s.

But here’s the thing—what if Lamar Jackson’s development, combined with his incredible ability, propels him past Mahomes? If Jackson can prove to be a consistent force in the postseason, suddenly he enters the Brady-Mahomes conversation as the future of the league.

The Road to a Championship

While the narrative is leaning heavily on Lamar Jackson’s MVP candidacy, the reality is that there’s still one key missing from the puzzle: the championship. Jackson’s play this season has been nothing short of spectacular, but as we’ve seen time and again in the NFL, winning it all is the ultimate measure of success.

If Lamar Jackson’s defense doesn’t improve, he may find himself in a similar situation to Peyton Manning in his early years—great in the regular season but not able to get over the hump in the playoffs. Lamar Jackson can put up video-game numbers every week, but unless his defense is solidified, he will struggle to match up against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, who have both an elite offense and a strong defense.

That’s what’s standing in his way. The Ravens’ defense has been problematic at times this season, particularly in the secondary and against the run. If they don’t tighten things up, it’s hard to imagine Jackson being able to overcome the likes of Mahomes, Brady, and the top playoff teams in the league.

The Legacy Question

So, is Lamar Jackson the new Peyton Manning? Or is Patrick Mahomes the modern-day Tom Brady? The answer to those questions is still unfolding. Right now, Lamar Jackson has taken his game to another level, proving he is arguably the best player in the NFL, but he still has to prove it in January. And until he wins that elusive Super Bowl, the conversation around his legacy will remain incomplete.

But as Lamar Jackson continues to evolve and grow into the player we know he can be, his chances of breaking through to that next level of greatness only grow stronger. Whether or not he can dethrone Mahomes and Brady as the greatest quarterback of his generation will depend on his ability to lead his team to a Super Bowl—and given his recent performances, it’s clear that Lamar Jackson is well on his way to becoming one of the most dominant quarterbacks in NFL history.

Until then, Jackson will continue to be compared to the greats—Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady—and rightly so. His talent and leadership are unmatched, and it’s only a matter of time before he proves that his place in the NFL’s elite tier is well deserved.