Russell Westbrook: Lamar Jackson
Russell Westbrook is much older than Lamar Jackson and has been a professional athlete for much longer than Jackson has. While the ages and the length of the careers are not similar, the narratives around both players are strikingly similar and it is safe to say that Lamar Jackson is the Russell Westbrook of the NFL.
As it currently stands, Lamar is better compared to his peers than Westbrook is compared to his. However, Westbrook is no longer in his prime while Lamar is in his. In Westbrook’s prime, he was considered in the same realm as Jackson.
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Jackson likely falls somewhere in the 5-8 range of quarterbacks which is where Westbrook would have landed during his MVP year and the subsequent years. Both players are not considered to be the best at their position, but their impact on the game is so unique and hard to deny.
Westbrook has redefined what a triple-double is and is the greatest player in NBA history in recording the statistic. Lamar, meanwhile, has redefined what a successful NFL quarterback can be and is on pace to be the greatest rushing quarterback of all time.
Both guys won MVP awards because of that uniqueness and both guys get criticized by pundits for being regular season players. Westbrook’s play style and Lamar’s playstyle have been great in the regular season but neither has been able to turn that into playoff success because of the way it translates to the playoffs.