The next great NFL QB rivalry will have an LSU football flair to it

The next great NFL quarterback rivalry will have an LSU football flair to it.

It’s hard to deny the impact that LSU football has had on the NFL over the years.

From Odell Beckham Jr to Jamal Adams, some of the sport’s most recognizable players are LSU products.

And soon, LSU will be at the center of the next great NFL quarterback rivalry.

Throughout the history of the NFL, there have always been great quarterback rivalries.

Terry Bradshaw vs Roger Stauback, Joe Montana vs John Elway, Troy Aikman vs Steve Young, and, of course, Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady. Those rivalries have captivated audiences for decades.

But with Manning now retired, and Brady nearing the end of his career, there’s an opportunity for a new set of young quarterbacks to step into the spotlight.

And I have the perfect candidates.

Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow

The former Louisville and LSU football stars will dominate the NFL for years to come

Jackson, who is actually a few weeks younger than Burrow, made his presence felt in the NFL as a rookie in 2018, starting seven games for the Baltimore Ravens while tossing for 1,201 yards and rushing for 695 yards.

In 2019, Jackson became a superstar. The former Louisville standout won the NFL MVP award after passing for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns.

The expectation for Burrow, the first overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, is that he’ll also develop into a superstar. Analysts are already comparing Burrow to legendary quarterbacks like Manning and Brady.

Burrow obviously has to prove he can be successful in the NFL, but there’s no doubt he has the tools (and confidence) to be a franchise-changing quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals.

These two young quarterbacks are the future of football (along with Patrick Mahomes, of course). They’re both transcendent talents that are injecting excitement into the AFC North.

And we get to watch them play against each other at least twice a year for the foreseeable future. That’s something we didn’t get with Manning and Brady after 2001 (though they did play against each other almost every year).

The Bengals vs the Ravens used to be a game relegated to a sub-prime Sunday afternoon television slot.

But I have a feeling we’ll be seeing plenty of these two franchises playing each other on Sunday nights in the coming years.