Charissa Thompson Reflects On How Current Crop Of NFL Quarterbacks Are Helping Shape The Game

Charissa Thompson is no stranger to making bold predictions on Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football," so her appearance in a new State Farm commercial as a gameday analyst feels like a natural fit. In the ad, she stars alongside the company's famous frontman, Jake, to remind customers that the insurance giant is in a league of its own.

In an exclusive interview with The Blast, Thompson spoke about filming the new spot, which hilariously contrasts her "bold prediction" with that of a bumbling psychic. In the ad, Jake from State Farm explains that needing a reliable prediction and getting one from Thompson is like having State Farm, while getting one from the psychic is like having another insurance company.

"It is so much fun," Thompson said before opening up about filming with the iconic Jake from State Farm, played by actor Kevin Miles.

"Every time that I shoot one of these spots, I always get friends or family or random people that ask me what he's like, and I have to tell you, he is the absolute best," she said, later adding, "You feel like you've known him forever. I remember the first time I met him, I was like, he's a guy that you wanna hang with."

Miles' character feels like everybody's best friend, and according to Thompson, that's one of his many admirable characteristics.

"He is perfect for State Farm because he really embodies that," she said.

And for Thompson herself, partnering with State Farm was only right, considering she's a State Farm customer in her everyday life.

"I use State Farm, and I have such a great relationship with the company, so when they came to me with an opportunity again this year, of course, I jumped at it," she said.

"I love the brand. I love the spots. I love Jake. I love getting to work with him. We've done this for the last couple of years, and every time we shoot these spots, it's like I get to see an old friend," she added. "Again, the company in and of itself makes you feel like part of their family, and they wanna take care of you, and they wanna make sure you're comfortable and all of that."

Although Thompson wouldn't describe herself as an actress, her performance in the latest State Farm commercial is especially strong. But that comes naturally when you're portraying a character that hits close to home.

"Having myself make a bold prediction as a 17-year vet in the sports broadcasting industry is a lot different than [a psychic] making a bold prediction," she said.

"So they were very fun, very creative spots," she added before pointing to State Farm's other recent ads featuring stars like Meghan Trainor, Patrick Mahomes, and Aidan Hutchinson.

Elsewhere, during our conversation with Thompson, the Amazon Prime analyst touched on the explosive start to the 2025 NFL season, which has already seen dramatic moments like the Minnesota Vikings' comeback from a 15-point deficit and epic performances, including Aaron Rodgers' four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut.

"I get chills, and I'm such a fan of the NFL that every single week is exciting," she said. "And week one has already sort of set this standard of what this season might look like is just so exciting, and it's why the NFL is incredible and I'm so happy to be a part of it."

So, with all of the talent and explosive matchups NFL fans have to keep their eyes on, who is Thompson keeping up with this NFL season?

"I grew up in Seattle, so I'm always gonna root for my hometown team and the Seahawks," she said. "But having worked in the industry for so long, it really now comes down to I've such great relationships with the players. I could also be their mother. Some of them are so young now. I look at their bios when I'm about to interview them. I'm like, you were born in 2000? I graduated from high school in 2000."

However, there is a specific group of athletes she's thoroughly impressed with: quarterbacks.

"I have to say, there's such a crop of talented quarterbacks. I got spoiled as a fan growing up, watching the John Elways, the Joe Montanas, and then you had Brady, you had Manning, and you had Drew Brees; you had all these great quarterbacks," she said.

"And now we have another crop of quarterbacks, from Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson to all these young guys—and Aaron Rodgers is still playing, of course. We even saw the effort of J.J. McCarthy ... in his first game and what he was able to do. That quarterback position is the number one position in the sport, but we are so lucky to have the talent from top to bottom."