The MVP conversation swirling around Lance had nothing to do with Alvin Kamara. The media wasn't paying attention to him at all.
But when Kamara spoke up, the story suddenly became a lot more interesting:
This year, there hadn't been much competition among rookie players. Lance was leagues ahead, leaving the media feeling restless, like they'd been missing out on some drama.
The funniest part? Many casual fans naturally assumed Lance was the number one overall pick. When they found out he'd actually been the third pick, they were dumbfounded.
"Wait, what was the team with the first pick thinking?"
Cleveland Browns: Don't ask. Please.
While Kamara was having a stellar season, the fact that he was in the NFC while Lance was in the AFC, combined with Kamara being a third-round pick and Lance being a top-three pick, meant there wasn't much natural comparison between the two.
But now? Kamara had stepped into the ring himself.
Suddenly, reporters swarmed the Kansas City Chiefs' training facility, eager for Lance's response.
Kelce, always ready with a joke, teased as the media converged: "Hey, rookie, someone's looking for you."
When Lance finally appeared, he was met with a barrage of flashing lights and questions.
But Lance's expression remained sincere. "Who?"
He wasn't being sarcastic—he genuinely didn't know who they were talking about.
The reporters, somewhat flustered, scrambled to remind him of a minor incident during the rookie training camp. They mentioned Kamara slipping during a receiving drill.
Lance's memory finally clicked.
"Oh, oh, the guy who face-planted during a catch? Got it."
Kamara, upon hearing this: Face-planted? You face-planted! Your whole family face-planted!
Still, Lance maintained an earnest look as he spoke.
"Of course, I'd love to follow in his footsteps. Reaching 600 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards isn't easy—it's impressive."
He paused, feigning contemplation. "Wait, that's just 1,200 yards combined?"
A shrug. "Oh, never mind then."
Lance's parting words were dripping with faux encouragement: "He's got Mark Ingram to guide him. That's a great learning opportunity. Best of luck to him!"
When reporters relayed Lance's comments to Kamara, his face turned a shade of red rarely seen outside of cartoons. His fists clenched so tightly his arms trembled. But ultimately, Kamara kept his cool.
"I hope he keeps winning. I look forward to meeting him one day on the field. Then, we'll settle everything with our performance."
The media had a field day with that statement.
Kansas City was in the AFC. New Orleans was in the NFC.
The only way these two teams could meet this season? The Super Bowl.
Kamara wasn't just hyping himself up—he was challenging the Chiefs head-on. He was effectively saying: "If anyone's going to stop you, it'll be me."
Naturally, this caused a stir.
To be fair, the New Orleans Saints were legitimate contenders this season.
After starting the year 0–2, the Saints ripped off an eight-game winning streak, fueled by strong rookie performances and the resurgence of their veteran quarterback, Drew Brees. Though their streak ended with a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Rams, they rebounded with a win over the Carolina Panthers, improving to 9–3.
Currently, the Saints were the NFC's third seed, trailing only the 10–2 Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings.
Kamara wasn't just talking trash. The Saints were very much in the Super Bowl conversation.
Still, the way Kamara singled out Lance for a rivalry—and did so while discussing the Super Bowl—made it all sound a bit juvenile.
What Kamara didn't realize, though, was that he'd unwittingly opened the floodgates for others to join the conversation.
At Foxborough, Tom Brady was swarmed by reporters. Every microphone and camera seemed to be laser-focused on one topic: Lance.
In the middle of the Patriots' playoff push, journalists had braved the snowy Massachusetts weather just to ask Brady about some rookie running back.
Brady's reaction? "Seriously?"
An MVP conversation? For a rookie?
Brady couldn't help but chuckle. Sure, Lance had caught his attention during the season opener, when the Chiefs had shocked the Patriots. But MVP talk? That was laughable.
Still, Brady composed himself. With his trademark smile and sparkling white teeth, he responded:
"I look forward to facing him again."
"I know all these young players are gunning for me. I'm like a moving target. He's not the first, and he won't be the last. But I'm ready for all of them."
"I'm more motivated this season than ever before. I'm not going anywhere, and I won't go down easily."
Brady's message was clear: Lance might be the hot topic now, but the NFL was full of flash-in-the-pan players. Meanwhile, Brady had built a legacy that transcended such fleeting moments.
In Philadelphia, Carson Wentz found himself similarly surrounded.
As a second-year quarterback and one of the top MVP candidates, Wentz had already grown accustomed to the spotlight. But this? The media frenzy was next-level.
Why wasn't the same happening in Los Angeles, where Jared Goff was also thriving?
The season opener had seen the Chiefs defeat both the Patriots and the Eagles, and now Lance was being mentioned alongside Brady and Wentz in the MVP race. The storyline practically wrote itself.
Caught in the crossfire, Wentz scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
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