Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's quarterback rivalry shaped an entire NFL generation. It's become the standard by which quarterback rivalries are measured. When Manning rode off into the sunset following the 2015 season, Brady still played for several years. He dominated, but Philadelphia Eagles fans and the league missed those classic duels by two worthy adversaries at the quarterback position.
Flash forward to the most recent Super Bowl LIX buildup. Patrick Mahomes had already been compared to and even crowned by many as the greatest quarterback ever.
This was totally premature, but that's a discussion to be had another day. What might help his cause is if, like Brady, he had a nemesis.
Enter Eagles QB1 Jalen Hurts.
Jalen Hurts vs. Patrick Mahomes is the modern-day Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning rivalry.
As Mahomes' legend grew, some asked who might challenge him. Some say he needs a rival. We;;. technically, he has two. Joe Burrow and he have traded blows, but the Cincinnati Bengals are seemingly headed in the wrong direction. There's the Josh Allen angle, but Patrick always beats Josh on the playoff stage.
Might anyone else take Mahomes' throne? Might it be someone else in the AFC? How about this for an angle? How about someone we all know pretty well?
Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow all have supreme talent. All have a large sample size with which to grade their genius. Jackson and Allen have the MVP trophies. Burrow has bested Mahomes in an AFC Championship Game.
We'll say this again though. All come up short when facing Mahomes in big games during the postseason. Hurts, on the other hand, outplays him.
Their head-to-head record speaks for itself. Mahomes bested Hurts in a close Super Bowl, while Hurts got his revenge by whacking the Chiefs in another. Both have beaten each other during the regular season.
Mahomes has won at Lincoln Financial Field. Hurts has won at Arrowhead Stadium. These two play in different conferences, so their paths aren't scheduled to cross often. That too is good for fans.
With that being the case, they will, more often than not, meet in high-stakes matchups. Stakes don't get any higher than the football's grandest stage.
Based on what we see, their chances of meeting there again are likely. Mahomes even said he believed they would play "in a few of these" Super Bowls. Buckle up. Given the makeup of the two ballclubs, and the talent of the two quarterbacks, the Eagles and Chiefs aren't going anywhere.
Jalen Hurts vs. Patrick Mahomes is like watching Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning all over again. Oh, and by the way, Philadelphia and Kansas City Chiefs will meet again during the 2025 regular season.
