A few weeks ago, Lamar Jackson called me “Flores.” I’ll now call him “MVP.”
The Ravens quarterback is the runaway chase for recognition as the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. It’s an annual award that drives conversation throughout the season, until sufficient achievements on the field make it obvious.
Jackson emerged as the favorite after the Ravens did to the 49ers what I foolishly thought the 49ers would do to the Ravens on Christmas night, knocking San Francisco favorites like Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey to the curb. Jackson then cemented things six days later, with five touchdown passes and a peace sign to Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
So, yes, it’s a no-brainer. Jackson propelled the Ravens to the top seed in the AFC, running an offense that found much better balance under new coordinator Todd Monken.
In 16 games, Jackson had 3,678 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes, only seven interceptions, and 821 rushing yards plus five more touchdowns.
Tied for second in our internal voting were Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, followed by 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Behind Allen, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Hill were tied. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud also landed on one of the ballots.