Latest news with #PeytonManning
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James, ‘Ring Culture' and 10 Quarterbacks That Need to Win a Super Bowl
LeBron James, 'Ring Culture' and 10 Quarterbacks That Need to Win a Super Bowl originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Sometimes LeBron James seems more interested in the NFL than his own sport. But his latest take is off the mark. James says 'ring culture' has infected the NBA, but is not part of the discussion for football. Advertisement "I don't know why it's discussed so much in our sport and why it's the end-all-be-all of everything,' James said on his Mind the Game podcast. 'You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley and Steve Nash weren't f---n' unbelievable? They can't be talked about or discussed with these guys because this guy won rings? It's like saying Peyton Manning can't be in the same room with [Tom] Brady or [Patrick] Mahomes because he only has one ring [he has two]. They don't ever discuss that in their sport. Or telling me that Dan Marino is not the greatest slinger of all time or he can't be in the room with those guys because he didn't win a championship.' James is wrong about quarterbacks. They are defined by championships just as much as NBA superstars. No one discusses Marino's legacy without mentioning that he didn't win a Super Bowl. The only reason Brady is considered a greater quarterback than Manning is because he has seven titles compared to Peyton's two. Eli Manning will eventually get into the Hall of Fame because he has two rings. John Elway was a better player early in his career but finally winning championships at the end meant everything. Quarterbacks touch the ball on every offensive play. They are supposed to elevate their teammates through leadership. It's a team sport, but they are most responsible for winning and losing. A QB without a title is immediately knocked down a peg on the all-time list. The No. 1 storyline heading into the 2025 season is: Will the last two MVPs take the next step and win it all? But they're not alone. Every top-tier QB is what LeBron would consider a victim of ring culture. Advertisement Here are the top 10 quarterbacks under the most pressure to win their first Super Bowl... Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe BurrowTina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK (Jackson), Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images (Allen), Joe Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images (Burrow) Ring or Bust 1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens Jackson is the only two-time MVP winner without a title. He narrowly missed capturing his third MVP last season, falling just short of Josh Allen in voting. Jackson, 28, is still improving. He's coming off his best statistical season (career high 119.6 passer rating) and has a great chance to win even more MVPs. If he doesn't have a ring to complement individual awards, his career would be a disappointment. There's even more pressure to win for Jackson because he's in Baltimore, an organization that knows how to win at the highest level. He doesn't have the built-in excuse of playing for Buffalo or Cincinnati, teams that have never won a Super Bowl. Jackson's own shortcomings in the postseason add to the scrutiny. We used to be able to say that he didn't have any receivers or that he had the wrong offensive coordinator. The Ravens have fixed those problems. And this season, their defense should get back on track. Advertisement Jackson's legacy is on the line every season from here on out and the only way to meet expectations is to win the Lombardi Trophy. Good news for Ravens fans: Jackson told reporters earlier this week that 'we're going to have vengeance on our mind' after last season's disappointing playoff loss. 2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills Before Peyton Manning won his first ring, he lost two playoff games to Brady. Allen is 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the postseason. Just because Mahomes keeps getting in his way and Buffalo's defense has come up short in big moments, that doesn't change the standard for Allen -- he will be judged on his ability to win a championship. Allen has played well in the playoffs. He's 7-6 with a 101.7 passer rating. But the margin of error is so slight at that level and a couple of ill-fated mistakes cost the team. He has to play better in the final moments come January. Advertisement Getting close this often and not finishing the job stings even more for the Bills, who haven't had this kind of success since they lost four straight Super Bowls in the early '90s. Allen puts plenty of pressure on himself. Add in burning desire of one of the NFL's most loyal fan bases and there's a lot riding on Allen's play. 3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals Burrow is as talented as Jackson or Allen. And unlike them, he's been to a Super Bowl. He falls on this list because he's handicapped by an organization that doesn't always do the right things to win a championship. The Bengals did re-sign Burrow's top receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but they don't want to pay their star defensive player Trey Hendrickson and have done very little to address that side of the ball. Advertisement Cincinnati feels like it's moving away from a title instead of toward it. The Bengals wasted an all-time quarterback performance from Burrow last season. He threw for 4,918 yards, 43 TDs and just 9 INTs while completing 70.6% of his passes and they still missed the playoffs. The team's struggles raise questions about Burrow's future. If Burrow wants to win a championship, will he have to emulate his fellow Ohio native LeBron and leave his home state? Carson Palmer got frustrated with the Bengals and left at 31. While Burrow seems content now, he is too good to not win at the highest level before his career is over. Ring Sure Would Be Nice 4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers Blame Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers coach told the Rich Eisen Show that he 'must get Justin Herbert to the Hall of Fame.' Harbaugh and Herbert felt pretty far from that goal when he threw five interceptions in the playoff loss to the Texans. But his regular-season peaks and obvious arm talent are enough to earn this level of expectation. Justin Herbert© Barry Reeger-Imagn Images While the playoff results haven't been there, Herbert could be in the right spot to make a leap. Harbaugh was ahead of schedule getting L.A. to the playoffs in his first season. Now Harbaugh has been able to build more of his style of team and can put Herbert in a better position. Harbaugh got San Francisco to the Super Bowl in his second year and could help Herbert take that step before long. 5. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions The pressure for Goff is about his situation more than who he is as a player. When a driver has the best car in the race, they're supposed to win. Goff is tasked with steering a Ferrari of an offense in Detroit. If the trajectory of the Lions continues despite losing both coordinators, Goff has to take them to a title. If he gets there, Goff, who turns 31 in October, will leap into the illustrious 'elite quarterback' conversation. 6. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers You can argue Purdy is a system quarterback. That doesn't change the assignment in San Francisco. He has to win it all or his career, his head coach Kyle Shanahan and this team will be considered a letdown. Purdy was a play or two away from getting it done in '23. He's surrounded by stars like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk. The Niners signed their quarterback to a five-year, $265 million extension. Only a Super Bowl victory will be enough to make that investment pay off. Dak Prescott and Cowboys owner Jerry JonesKyle Terada-Imagn Images 7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys Right now Prescott's reputation has more to do with his salary than his performance. If he stopped playing today, he'd be considered good but wildly overpaid at $60 million per season. To fix that narrative, Prescott needs postseason success. Dallas hired a coach Prescott is comfortable with in Brian Schottenheimer and added a potential strong No. 2 receiver in George Pickens. With how his career has gone so far, Prescott needs a ring to get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. The Next Wave 8. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans After Stroud took a step backward in his second season, the Texans got aggressive to support their young quarterback. They fired their offensive coordinator and reworked the offensive line. Even with their failure to protect him last season, Stroud has led the Texans to two straight playoff trips. With a potentially dominant defense, Houston could eventually put everything together and make a championship run. 9. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders Daniels is coming off arguably the greatest rookie season by any quarterback in NFL history. He threw for 3,568 yards, 25 TDs and 9 INTs, while adding 891 yards and 6 TDs on the ground. When you reach the NFC Championship game in your first season, a future ring is the only goal that matters. 10. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers Love can thank Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers (and Bart Starr) for setting the bar at championship in Green Bay. In '23, Love and the Packers had eventual NFC champion San Francisco on the ropes in the playoffs. Last season, Love hurt his knee in Week 1 and the team never really got back on track. He's on this list because he makes plays that are reminiscent of Rodgers and Favre. Love needs to develop more consistency to fulfill the promise he's shown early in career. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LL Cool J to host hip-hop docuseries for Paramount+
June 27 (UPI) -- Paramount+ announced Friday that LL Cool J is soon to helm a fresh music docuseries for its platform that will provide a deep dive into everything hip-hop. LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, is an MC and performer with two Grammy Awards under his belt. He is also a Kennedy Center honoree and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, among other achievements. For Paramount's Hip Hop Was Born Here five-episode series, LL Cool J will take on the role of host, and chat with other hip-hop notables and icons. Intended to show how hip-hop was born, grew and continues to evolve both as a musical genre and a culture, LL Cool J is slated to chat with fellow classic rap stars such as Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Caz, Marley Marl, Rev Run, Roxanne Shante and Method Man. He'll also spend time with newer artists, such as Crystal Caines and Lady London, among others. LL Cool J is also a co-executive producer of the series, a responsibility he shares with a group that also includes NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Hip Hop Was Born Here will premiere on Paramount+ on July 22 in the United States, Canada, Brazil and across Latin America before showing up on the streaming service across Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Australia the next day. The program's trailer is available to view via the Paramount+ YouTube channel.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL legend Peyton Manning shares thoughts on former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud
Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has had a pretty remarkable start to his NFL career. He was the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year and has led the Houston Texans to two straight playoff appearances. Of course, as with many sports fans, they want more and they want it now. Stroud took some criticism in his second season, as it seemed like a bit of a regression, but NFL legend Peyton Manning begs to differ. In an event with Fanatics, both Peyton and Eli Manning took the stage with Stroud, Bryce Young, and Celeb Williams. In a matter of just 63 seconds, Peyton heaped the praise on Stroud, shutting down anyone who thinks he isn't doing enough. "...I didn't win a playoff game 'til my sixth year. He's two for two." - Peyton Manning Manning talked about how hard it is to come into the league and play well as a rookie, and then began the compliments of how well the former Buckeye prepares in watching film and doing study. He continued on comparing Stroud's beginning to his own NFL start, saying, "He went to the playoffs in his second year. He was 22. Let's be careful saying it was a down year. I didn't win a playoff game 'til my sixth year. He's two for two." That's big time coming from one of the all-time NFL greats. While Stroud's numbers weren't as strong in year two, throwing for fewer yards and touchdowns and more than doubling his interceptions, he also had to navigate a number of injuries to his offensive line (he was sacked 52 times, which was second most in the NFL) as well as injuries to his top three receivers. Manning also points out that after such a strong rookie campaign, teams had more film to watch to make adjustments. The Texans are looking to build on the success of the past two seasons and have added some more firepower to the team. With a healthy roster, Stroud is poised to take another step forward in his third year.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arch Manning Reaffirms Why He Chose Texas as a Recruit
Arch Manning Reaffirms Why He Chose Texas as a Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, Arch Manning held offers from some of the biggest programs in college football. Advertisement Powerhouses such as Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Notre Dame all made pushes for him, but when it came time to make a decision, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning chose the Texas Longhorns. It was a bit of a shocking choice considering they already had a starter in place with Quinn Ewers, but Manning made it clear that he wanted to be in Austin. Aside from old videos surfacing showing that he had been a Longhorns fan growing up, Manning and his family were also enticed by the opportunity to play for Steve Sarkisian. Even after it was revealed Ewers was returning for 2024, Manning didn't run to the portal like most players these days would. Something that he touched on when speaking to On3 at the Manning Passing Academy on Thursday. Advertisement 'Just his track record with quarterbacks, he came off a really good year in 2020 with Mac Jones at Alabama,' Manning said. 'They lit it up. I like him as a person. I liked Austin, liked Texas, so it was just the right fit. He's hard on me sometimes, but I deserve it a lot of the time." Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Aside from Mac Jones, Sarkisian also helped develop Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, Jake Locker and Tua Tagovailoa. While Manning was beloved as the backup that everyone wanted to see play last year, 2025 will be his time to shine. Sarkisian named him as the starter earlier this offseason, giving him the keys to a program that has made the College Football Playoff two years in a row, losing in the semifinal in both. Advertisement Although there will be plenty of pressure on him due to his name and the fact he sat and waited, the buzz around Austin is that he will be worth the hype, and then some. Related: 5-Star Texas QB Commit Reveals Inital Dream Was to Take Cooper Flagg Route at Duke This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles' Jalen Hurts Text Kills Peyton Manning's QB Rankings
Eagles' Jalen Hurts Text Kills Peyton Manning's QB Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Peyton Manning has officially sworn off quarterback rankings, and it's all thanks to a direct text message from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts that arrived just 20 minutes after the Hall of Famer revealed his top five at Fanatics Fest 2024. Advertisement Last summer, Manning's list featured Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. But it notably left out Hurts—who would later lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX title just months afterward. 'I named five guys and Jalen Hurts texted me like 20 minutes later, 'I didn't make your list,' and now Jalen's mad at me,' Manning revealed at this year's Fanatics Fest in New York City. 'So, no list today.' That snub didn't sit well with Hurts, but it seems to have left a lasting impression on Manning. Despite Hurts' modest 2024 regular season—throwing for 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns—he delivered when it mattered most. The Eagles star completed 71 percent of his passes in the playoffs for 726 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, adding 194 rushing yards and five more scores en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The irony isn't lost on fans. Manning's omission, whether intentional or not, seemed to fuel Hurts' fire. The two quarterbacks share a respectful relationship dating back to Hurts' time as a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy. Manning has spoken highly of Hurts' leadership, describing him as having 'quiet confidence' and praising the way he carries himself. Advertisement But after being on the receiving end of Hurts' subtle clapback, Manning has decided it's not worth stirring the pot anymore. 'I'm a quarterback defender, I'm a quarterback fan, I know how hard it is to play, and so, no list this year,' he said. Whether it was Hurts' championship run or Manning's desire to avoid another awkward exchange, one thing is certain: the Eagles quarterback made his case loud and clear without ever raising his voice. And now, thanks to one well-timed text, the quarterback ranking game just lost one of its biggest voices. Related: Eagles Could Strike Gold by Trading for Emerging Star Pass Rusher Related: Eagles Rookie Making Push for Starting Safety Role as Veteran Feels the Heat This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
