Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen
Getty
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Sometimes it’s not the message, it’s the messenger.
In the case of former New England Patriots linebacker and 3-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi talking about the Baltimore Ravens, it’s both.
Bruschi took a pretty direct shot at the Ravens ahead of their regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills during ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown ahead of their season opener on Sunday, September 7.
“Is it Josh Allen? Is it Lamar Jackson? Who’s got things to prove?” Bruschi said on September 7. “It’s almost like these teams are the same to me. A lot of these players have been highly compensated individually. They’ve got the accolades. They’ve got the awards. But the teams haven’t been validated with the world championship because there’s a team called the Kansas City Chiefs they haven’t been able to get through. This is the Little Brother Bowl. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s the Little Brother Bowl.”
While Bruschi’s take might seem harsh — he’s not necessarily wrong.
Since Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson both became full time starters for their teams in 2018, they’ve each been named NFL Most Valuable Player — Jackson twice and Allen once, in 2024. They also have combined for zero Super Bowl appearances.
In that time, the Chiefs have ended the season for the 2 teams a combined 5 times in the playoffs.
That’s 4 times for the Bills, including twice in the AFC Championship Game, and once for the Ravens in their only appearance in the AFC Championship Game with Jackson as the starting quarterback following the 2023 season.
Bruschi One Of NFL’s All-Time Greatest Winners
Bruschi has bona fides unlike few players in NFL history.
Named Pac-10 Defensive Player at Arizona in 1995, Bruschi was drafted in the third round (No. 86 overall) of the 1996 NFL draft by the Patriots and played all 13 years of his NFL career in New England.
In that time, Bruschi was a 2-time NFL All-Pro, Pro Bowler and NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2005. More importantly, Bruschi was a 3-time Super Bowl champion as part of the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
Bruschi finished his career with 1,074 tackles, 12 interceptions and 5 defensive touchdowns.
Pair Of Quarterbacks Under Massive Pressure
Bruschi makes a valid point in calling out the “compensation” for Jackson and Allen — they’re 2 of the highest paid players in NFL history and both face an incredible amount of pressure to win in 2025.
Jackson signed a 5-year, $260 million contract extension in April 2023 that’s now become an incredible value for the Ravens. Jackson is due to make approximately $42.75 million in 2025 — almost $18 million less than the highest paid player in the NFL with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who signed a 4-year, $240 million contract extension before the 2024 season which pays him approximately $60 million per year. Jackson’s next contract should exceed that number.
Allen signed a 6-year, $330 million contract extension in March that will keep him with the Bills through the 2030 season. Allen’s new deal includes $147 million in guaranteed money and will bring his career earnings to approximately $504 million when it’s all said and done.