Despite falling just short of his third MVP award, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a season for the ages in 2024.
The 28-year-old made everyone who still doubted him as a passer look silly, throwing for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also continued to dominate on the ground, rushing for 915 yards and four touchdowns and becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a quarterback.
Jackson coming up empty-handed is a shame considering he had one of the best seasons ever for a quarterback, but at the very least, there’s no longer any debate about whether he’s one of the best, if not the best quarterbacks in the league.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook placed Jackson at the top of his end-of-season quarterback rankings, a well-deserved honor.
“For as excellent as Jackson’s 2023 MVP season was, his 2024 campaign was better in almost every category,” Shook wrote. “Jackson posted career-best totals in passing touchdowns and passing yards, threw just four interceptions, ran for nearly 1,000 yards, added four rushing scores and powered the Ravens, and their top-ranked offense, to 12 regular-season wins and the AFC North title.
“Just two elements were missing from his best overall season: a signature playoff win (and/or Super Bowl run) and a third league MVP. If it was up to me, No. 8 would have won No. 3. In a field filled with fantastic signal-callers, Jackson reigns supreme — again.”
This is the third time Shook has named Jackson as his No. 1 quarterback, following his MVP seasons in 2019 and 2023.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who won MVP over Jackson despite missing out on first-team All-Pro honors.
“Yep, the 2024 league MVP isn’t the top-ranked player in this year’s final QB Index,” Shook wrote. “As fantastic as Allen was this year, I simply thought Jackson was better.”
The MVP debate between Jackson and Allen was one of the most-heated in recent memory, and there wasn’t really a wrong choice. However, Jackson’s historical numbers more than earn him a place atop a list like this.
