Who Steve Young thinks could be ‘the greatest that ever played’

Tom Brady often gets called the GOAT of the NFL. But Steve Young thinks a different AFC quarterback — not named Patrick Mahomes — is capable of dethroning Brady.

On the “This Is Football” podcast, Young said that Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could be “the greatest that ever played.”

“Obviously the championship game was a complete bummer, but it doesn’t negate the advancement they’ve made as an organization to give Lamar Jackson the chance to be the greatest that ever played. He can’t get there unless you allow him to be a sophisticated passer of the football,” Young said.

Is Lamar Jackson the NFL’s greatest quarterback?

Young thinks Jackson needs a more sophisticated passing game and more talent around him on the football field for him to live up to his potential to be “one of the best that’s ever played.”

He compared Jackson’s situation to the talent surrounding of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

He wants the Ravens to get more talent at the wide receiver position and to find another great tight end to pair with Mark Andrews.

“Give Lamar Jackson that talent around him, ask him to be a sophisticated passer, and you will not be able to stop him in any shape or form,” Young said.

Baltimore’s three starting wide receivers are Zay Flowers, who was a first-round pick last year, four-year pro Rashod Batemen and 10-year-vet Nelson Agholor. The team released Odell Beckham Jr. in in March. He finished last season with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, per the team.

Young considers last season a “transition year” for Jackson who was adjusting to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. With that first season together under their belt, the Hall of Fame quarterback expects “next year to be an explosive year.”

But Young did give a disclaimer when it comes to his take on Jackson’s potential.

“It’s hyperbole, but I want people to understand that what I’m saying is ‘you’re seeing a player who has the potential to be as great as anyone you’ve ever seen play.’ I really believe that,” he said. “But he’s missing a vital piece of it and that’s a sophisticated passer.”

What Steve Young said about today’s NFL

Young said on the podcast that he is jealous of today’s NFL and its quarterback-friendly rules.

“It’s brought the game to me. This is my game. My game needed rule changes,” he said. “What they did was slow defenders down. You can’t fly through the air anymore. You got to bring your feet to a tackle. It slowed the game down enough that allows for all kinds of cool, fun stuff that was never allowed. Defenses in the NFL would have never allowed some of these slip screens. They’d smash them. Now it’s a big part of the game.”

While he admitted he often thinks about what it would be like to play today, he emphasized the he has never thought of what his stats could be today.

“I would have loved, loved, loved to play in today’s game,” he said. “I was an oddity back in the day.”