Lamar Jackson Not Winning MVP 'Makes No Sense'
The NFL MVP race was decided at NFL Honors last night, with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen edging Lamar Jackson in the voting, but the debate over who deserved to win continues.
A number of pundits believe Jackson, who had one of the best-ever seasons statistically for a quarterback and was named first-team All-Pro, should have won his second straight and third overall MVP award.
Allen received 27 first-place votes to Jackson's 23 and finished with 383 points to Jackson's 362. One voter – former NFL quarterback and current SiriusXM NFL Radio host Jim Miller – gave Jackson a head-scratching fourth-place vote (he had Allen at No. 1).
Athlon Sports’ Nathan Dougherty noted that Miller has a history of controversial votes, including one involving Jackson.
"Back in the 2019 season, he was one of three voters who did not put the Ravens quarterback on the All-Pro team," Dougherty wrote. "Jackson went on to win a unanimous MVP award."
Another (more notable) former quarterback, Tom Brady, voted for Jackson for MVP. Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe and former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson did not agree with the vote on “Nightcap.”
Here's a look at what other pundits said about Jackson not winning MVP:
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio: "The same 50 people who voted for the MVP award also voted for the All-Pro team. The votes were due only two days apart, in the immediate aftermath of Week 18. And, somehow, the tabulation of the ballots resulted in Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson being named the first-team All-Pro quarterback — and Bill quarterback Josh Allen being named the MVP. It makes no sense. I voted for Jackson as both the first-team All-Pro and MVP. In all, 30 of the voters named Jackson the first-team All-Pro; 18 picked Allen. But only 23 of the voters made Jackson the first-place choice MVP."
The Ringer’s Lindsay Jones: "Nine voters split their votes — picking Jackson for All-Pro, and Allen for MVP. One of those voters was me. … Splitting my ballot was my way of acknowledging that Jackson played quarterback better than anyone this season, while Allen was the defining, and yes, most valuable, football character of the regular season. When I think back on the 2024 regular season, it was Allen whose best plays lead the highlight reel — his passing-turned-receiving touchdown against San Francisco in the snow, his fourth-down touchdown run against Kansas City that helped Buffalo hand the Chiefs their only meaningful loss of the season, and his roll-out deep dart to Keon Coleman in a December shootout against Detroit."
Ebony Bird’s Matt Sidney: "The argument is that Allen did more with less than Lamar, but how is that quantified? At the end of the day, Allen plays with 52 other NFL-caliber players (the same amount as Lamar). Just say you got bored with Jackson winning and wanted a fresh face. The reality? Voter fatigue probably played a role. Jackson had already won two MVPs (including last year's), and some voters likely wanted to see a fresh face holding the trophy. Add in the usual media love for Buffalo, and suddenly, the best player in the league gets left empty-handed."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Nikhil Mehta: "Allen was great, but Jackson was historic. And voter fatigue is no excuse. If anyone is tired of casting their ballot, I'm sure I know someone who's willing to take on that burden."
A.Q. Shipley Says Marshal Yanda Not Being First-Ballot Hall of Famer 'Is a Travesty'
Former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda fell short of enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but former center/guard A.Q. Shipley, who played with Yanda in Baltimore in 2013, feels strongly that Yanda should've been a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" yesterday before the 2024 Hall of Fame class was revealed at NFL Honors, Shipley said of Yanda, "He's probably the best interior lineman of this era, of this decade. … It should be an absolute no-brainer and if he doesn't [get in] it's a travesty."
Like Yanda, former Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs also reached the final round of 15 modern-era finalists in his first year of eligibility but did not receive enough votes for induction.
It's highly likely both will ultimately have a bust in Canton.
