Julian Edelman Candidly Settles the Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes Debate

Over the past few years, the NFL world has gone back and forth on who the better QB is between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. While many have had their own theories about who comes out on top, Patriots legend Julian Edelman has a straightforward choice—one he solidified earlier this year after losing a lot of money betting against the Chiefs.

Speaking on Fox’s preseason coverage, Edelman was asked if the KC Chiefs had it in them to achieve the historic three-peat this season. The former NFL star promptly extended his support for the defending champs, noting that it’s not a team to overlook:

“I’ve learned my lesson. I am never betting against the Chiefs again… I lost a lot of money…”

Edelman then doubled down on his stance regarding the Chiefs achieving a three-peat with a straightforward argument—Mahomes and Co. are the favorites to go all the way, and the only reason they might not win is if others step up. And with “others”, Edelman primarily meant Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.

The former Patriots player noted that for the Chiefs’ third consecutive victory to be thwarted, Burrow must avoid injury like last season and maintain consistency.

As for Lamar, Julian poked fun at the star QB’s not-so-impressive playoff performances and urged him to get off the milk carton in the post-season, hinting that he tends to be missing when the team needs him most.

“We all know what the Chiefs are… It’s up to everyone else. We need to see a Joe Burrow come out and do something… stay healthy [and] start fast. You need to see Lamar Jackson, who’s been on a milk carton in the playoffs… so he’s missing.”

With these comparisons, Edelman cleverly implied that Mahomes is the best QB in the league. Surprisingly, though, most fans agreed with this assessment and took to social media to show their support.

“I see no lies…”: netizens agree with Edelman that Mahomes edges out Jackson

Individually, the likes of Burrow, Mahomes, and Jackson each have a strong case for being considered the best. However, in terms of the impact a quarterback has had on his team, Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, is arguably head and shoulders above his peers.

This is also why it was difficult for most fans to disagree with Edelman about Mahomes edging out Jackson, leading them to flock to social media to express their agreement with the former wideout, especially regarding his criticism of Lamar’s dismal playoff performances. Here are a few of them:

The Ravens Flock, meanwhile, felt that Edelman was too ignorant with his take, urging the Pats legend to show the same energy for the likes of Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, and Dak Prescott, among others.

That said, when most of the internet agrees with your take, it tends to be closer to the truth. Jackson and his Ravens have been collectively unimpressive, and the results are there to show it.

But not all is doom and gloom for the Ravens QB. Lamar being ranked higher than Patrick among the best players in the NFL in 2024 shows that he is well-respected among his peers. More importantly, it shows that his process is working for him.

Playoffs, at the end of the day, come down to fine margins. With many variables at play, a poor playoff record should be viewed more as a collective issue rather than an individual one. After all, Lamar did tally four touchdowns against the Texans in the Divisional Round.