Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Ravens' Lamar Jackson Brushes Off MVP Snub

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was already a two-time MVP heading into the 2024 season, but that didn't stop him from putting together not just the best statistical season of his career, but one of the best by a quarterback in NFL history.

The 28-year-old took his game to another level in 2024, throwing for a career-high 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions. His passer rating was the fourth-highest in a season in NFL history, only behind Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and 2020 and Peyton Manning in 2004. As the cherry on top, he also became the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards by a quarterback, dethroning Michael Vick after so many years.

Despite all that, he didn't add any hardware to his collection. Instead, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who threw for 3,871 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions while adding 12 rushing touchdowns, won MVP in an incredibly close race, receiving 27 first-place votes to Jackson's 23.

Just weeks earlier, the same group of voters named Jackson as the first-team All-Pro quarterback, as he received 30 votes to Allen's 18 (Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals got the other two). It marked the first time since 1987 that the MVP was not a first-team All-Pro.

In the months since the announcement, there's been endless debates over who should've won MVP, but Jackson hasn't concerned himself with it. As he and the Ravens get ready to take on Allen and the Bills in Sunday night's season opener, he played it cool when asked about the award going to his rival.

"The voters chose who they wanted to pick," Jackson told reporters Wednesday. "It is what it is. It is what it is."

The most common talking point for those who backed Allen for MVP is that he did it with a weaker supporting cast than Jackson had, and that the Bills performed better compared to their expectations. It's also possible that there was a sense of voter fatigue, as Jackson had already won the award twice - the second of which came just a year prior - while Allen hadn't won it previously.

Despite their rivalry on the field, Jackson and Allen share a great deal of respect for each other. Following last season's Divisional Round game, which Buffalo won 27-25 at home, the two star quarterbacks shared a long embrace and sang each other's praises after that.

"We're competing. We're competing – don't get me wrong – but hats off to [Allen]," Jackson told reporters after the game. "'Hats off to me.' That's what he said to me. Great players recognize greatness, and we both recognize each other, but I told him, 'Man, go get something. Go win something. MVP or Super Bowl. Do something.' I want him to be successful."

Sunday's game will no doubt be intense, but these two will always look at each other with admiration.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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