The 2023 NFL season yielded a dearth of clear-cut MVP candidates, but that has not proven to be the case this year. Several players made a claim to receive consideration at various points in the campaign, and debate has continued through the conclusion of the season regarding which one will ultimately take home the award at NFL Honors. 
As usual, quarterbacks have dominated the discussion. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley led the way for other positions in 2024, a year in which he became the NFL’s ninth ever 2,000-yard rusher. Especially given the team’s decision to rest him in Week 18 (which prevented him from being able to attempt breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time record), though, it is extremely unlikely the run of QBs receiving the MVP nod will end this year.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ passing attack gave the team a chance to rally from 4-8 into the postseason, and a wild-card berth was still possible entering the final day of the regular season. Cincinnati fell short of the No. 7 seed, however, effectively ending Burrow’s chances of receiving votes at the top of the MVP ballot. The likes of Jared Goff (Lions) and Sam Darnold (Vikings) are likely to be popular names on the lower end of many MVP voters’ final five-player lists, but as far as most observers are considered the race for the award is down to two contenders.
Lamar Jackson has served as the Ravens’ full-time starter for six seasons. Twice in his previous five – including two of the past three where he has remained healthy through the full campaign – he has collected the Most Valuable Player award. That includes a unanimous nod in 2019 as well last year’s award, for which the only other first-place vote went to Josh Allen. Unsurprisingly, the Bills star once again finds himself as the other candidate to receive the honor this year.
Baltimore and Buffalo both saw several notable changes this past offseason, although continuity at a number of spots and with respect to the team’s offensive coordinators was also present. In the case of both division-winning teams, the play of their quarterbacks was the driving force of their overall success, and any number of angles can be taken when arguing in favor of Jackson or Allen. While the latter sat out the closing minutes of several blowouts this year and only logged one snap in Week 18, both passers offered a strong sample size for MVP evaluation.
Jackson and the Ravens needed a win in Week 18 to clinch the AFC North in part due to their 0-2 start to the year. At the end of the campaign in particular, though, the team’s offense showed signs of improvement with Jackson’s increased passing efficiency on full display. In all, the Louisville product finished with career highs in yards (4,172) and touchdowns (41) through the air coupled with four interceptions. No quarterback in league history has recorded more than 40 passing TDs while also managing fewer than five interceptions.
With those totals in mind, it comes as no surprise Jackson’s passer rating for the season (119.6) also checked in at a career high. That figure not only led the league, but it was the fourth-highest single-season total in NFL history. As usual, Jackson was also impactful in the run game; his 915 rushing yards topped the field amongst quarterbacks while his 6.6 yards per attempt average led the NFL. Shortly put, the raw statistics in most categories point toward a third MVP award.
Allen’s performance is highly impressive on many fronts as well, however. Transitioning to a new receiving corps in the offseason (and, in the case of Amari Cooper, midway through the campaign), he led the Bills to a comfortable AFC East title en route to the conference’s No. 2 seed. A pair of Buffalo’s 13 wins in particular understandably drew major attention around the league. The Bills are responsible for the Chiefs’ only regular season loss in which they played their full lineup as well as one of the Lions’ two defeats. Especially with the latter victory coming in Detroit, it helped Allen’s MVP case and highlighted his stellar campaign. 
With 28 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores (second most in the league amongst QBs), Allen repeated an unprecedented feat in terms of prolific scoring through the air and on the ground in the same season. While ball security has been the source of criticism in past seasons, he committed only eight in 2024. The Wyoming product’s 14 sacks taken were also by far the fewest of his career. Coupling those numbers with individual moments like his fourth-and-2 touchdown run against Kansas City and the play in which he threw and caught the same TD pass against San Francisco make it easy to foresee Allen’s first MVP nod being a distinct possibility.
The Bills and Ravens met head-to-head in Week 4, with Baltimore earning a comfortable victory. Overall, Jackson’s numbers in games against playoff-caliber opponents outweigh Allen’s, although on the other hand the fact Buffalo finished with a superior record in what was viewed as a transitional year may balance the scales on that front. In any case, the 28-year-old draft classmates have each enjoyed the primes of their careers, and both signal-callers’ résumé’s have been significantly bolstered by the 2024 campaign.
There is precedent for the MVP award to be shared, as that has proven to be the case on two occasions (Brett Favre and Barry Sanders in 1997; Peyton Manning and Steve McNair in 2003). Unless that situation emerges again, though, voters will be met with a Jackson-or-Allen decision. Regarding AP first-team All-Pro nods, Jackson wound up with a 30-18 edge over Allen in terms of votes. That is generally an indication of how the MVP competition will shake out; indeed, as ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg notes, every quarterback named first-team All-Pro since 2013 has also taken home MVP honors.
With all ballots submitted and the countdown on until NFL Honors, how do you see the MVP race ending? Have your say in the comments below.
If supporting cast and team record matter – its Josh.
Not like Lamar had significantly better weapons
Zay Flowers is his Shakir. Shakir probably would have had more production but only started 9 out of the 15 games he played.
Both have good TE rooms in andrews&likely kincaid&knox
Both have very good RBs in Henry who posted 1900 rushing yards but James Cook posted 1400 all purpose yards given his receiving ability so not like they were super far off in production. Both had 16 rushing tds and 2 receiving tds.
Questionable wr room outside top option
Baltimore: Bateman, Wallace, Aghlahor
Bills: Coleman, Cooper, Hollins, Samuels
Lamar and Allen had very similar levels of talent around them but some with different skill sets.
Disagree.
1st – many in the national media picked Buffslo to finish last in the AFC East after trading Diggs and letting Gabe Davis walk. Instead they are the two seed. Lets not pretend Pittsburgh is anything more than a paper tiger. And Cleveland is a mess. Ill give you Cincy is better than their record .
2nd – focusing on games started is an odd way to make a point here and it doesn’t work. Shakir is a slot guy primarily and played nearly every game usually a leading receiver. I like Shakir – but that isn’t the same. Starting does not matter. Not to these Bills. The Bills rotate receivers frequently. Check the snap counts.
3rd – Josh got Mack Hollins to have a career year. MACK. Did you know who he was prior to this year? A career 5th receiver. He leads the Bills in Tds. He played way too many snaps.
Coleman is a roller coaster. Some nice plays bit way too many mistakes. 2 of Joshs career low ints were directed related to Coleman.
Are you really saying that Cook and Henry are close? Isn’t Henry already HOF bound? Cook isn’t even a pro bowl player. ( pro bowls are dumb I admit but what does that say about his perception around the league?)
And the TE rooms – the Bills have nice players but exactly what have they accomplished? We keep waiting for Dalton Kincaid to have that game but he never does.
Not to mention Coleman, Kincaid and Cooper all missed significant chunks if time along with the new WR room.
Oh and check the defense stats too.
One team was supposed to lose their division (or finish last) and ended up the second seed. The other team was the 1 sees last year and had to keep playing the division with a paper tiger until week 18.
The Bills scored 30 ppg with a completely remade WR room.
Take Josh off the Bills and you have a 5 win team. Take Lamar off the Ravens and you have a playoff team still.
1. What does predictions have to do with anything? Being better than your prediction doesn’t mean much. If that’s the case Justin Herbert should be MVP. just means people were wrong.
2. Games started means he missed snaps and played less snaps than zay flowers. Flowers played 75% of his teams snaps this year vs Shakir who played 61%. They wound up with roughly the same amount of catches but had Shakir played more he probably matches Flowers yardage.
3. Derrick Henry rushing for 1900 yards and Cook giving you 1400 all purpose yards isn’t much different. Yards are yards. Henry isn’t a receiving back. Cook at least is capable of catching passes which adds to his versatility as a runner and pass catcher.
Again Henry played 57% of his team snaps
Cook played 48%
Once again had Cook played as much as Henry like had Shakir played as much as Flowers Cook would have more yards and their production would be closer.
Defensive stats don’t mean much when we are talking about offensive production to decide who could be MVP.
Kincaid and Knox not producing more is Josh Allen’s fault. That and your OCs fault for not utilizing them more. They’re very good TEs. Definitely capable of more.
We saw Derrick Henry with no QB. He had a losing record prior to Tannehill and had a losing record last year going 6-11. So to say ravens would be a playoff team is bit of a stretch in a division with Burrow and the Steelers.
Ravens division is def better than the bills but the bills are the only team to beat both 1 seeds in the chiefs and lions who are a combined 30-1 against every other team in the nfl.
They’ve both had historic seasons statistically Lamar 40 TDs 4 ints 900 rush and Allen only QB ever with 25 pass TD 10 rush TD and sub 10 ints.
The supporting cast is not close though objectively Henry is better and has had a better year than cook. Andrews is better than Kincaid plus Likely > Knox. You’d also be hard pressed to find anyone who’d take Shakir over Zay if you’re a serious football fan. O line is about equal.
If the definition of the award is most valuable to the team it’s Josh Allen.
Henry played 57% of snaps
Cook 48%
Flowers 75%
Shakir 61%
Had they played roughly the same amount of snaps for their teams you’d be looking at similar production in yards from scrimmage. Saying Henry is better and flowers is better cause stats completely ignores their stark difference in usage on offense.
Kincaid and Knox are as talented a TE group as Andrews and Lively but aren’t utilized nearly as much
Also Mack hollins didn’t have a career year
His best year came in LV where he caught 57 passes for 690 yards and 4 TDs
Him catching 31 targets for 378 and 5 TDs isn’t even close to his best year lmao. Congrats he had the second best season of his career. Definitely something to brag about when talking about MVP
Thanks for making my point for me on Mack. Im glad you see you agree. Josh puts up numbers with that guy getting serious reps! He lead the team in tds. But you are right – comparable weapons right!
Shaker isnt a starter! You want to make that point with a slot player!
I think you are purposely missing my point about rebuilding the WR room and expectations. Its ik. I get it. Its hard to give credit when you are wrong.
I dont think you understand supposed cast in win either. That does include defense bc it controti wins – which is what historically contributes to mvp voters. You get that too.
You are reaching my man. You think the rbs are similar and I dont have much credibility to your opinion.
Also – shakir isnt a starter per se. He is a slot player. Your argument is not valud if you watch any Bills games at all. He is heavily involved in every game – please check box scores and stop this nonsense.
Im also unsure of your argument that tes not performing is Allens fault…
And yet still right there in the conversation about MVP where we disagree on weapons. Which is it? They are good or not? You cant have it both ways.
Why are we not debating Burrow?
Oh yeah – wins. They matter to voters. So supporting casts matter too? Including defense?
Huh.
People are debating burrow lmao. Dude led the league in pretty every category at QB
Led league in passing yards
Led league in TDs
Finished third in comp percentage
Led the league in attempts but only threw 9 ints.
Burrow played at an MVP season and his name is literally mentioned in this article as an mvp candidate.
I bow to your superior knowledge.
1900 and 1400 are the same.
Have a hood one!
“ Again Henry played 57% of his team snaps
Cook played 48%
Once again had Cook played as much as Henry like had Shakir played as much as Flowers Cook would have more yards and their production would be closer.”
Words are hard for you huh? Lmao. Showing off your illiteracy isn’t something to be proud of kid.
Not as hard as math and logic are for you!
I feel bad for you – to proud to know you are simple.
Go Bills!
So you’re saying if Shakir played 75% of snaps like Flowers instead of 61% Shakir WOULD NOT have more yards?
And you’re saying had Cook played 57% of snaps like Henry instead of 48% Cook WOULD NOT have more yards?
Lmao. That’s your argument? Really showing off the single digit IQ there huh kid.
So supporting cast and wins do matter?
Then why wont he win it?
Why won’t he win it? Cause people like you think a QB controls how defense performs instead of looking at things like QBR.
What position do QBs play on defense and special teams?
The voters care – you know this. You just refuse to admit it.
Wins matter.
Sure.
Wins are a team accomplishment.
Seems weird to blame a QB for a bad defense and bad kicker. Not Brock Purdy as fault Jake Moody got the yips for instance and not Joe Burrows fault his defense is made of Swiss cheese.
Again what position does a QB play on defense and special teams?
“ Kincaid and Knox not producing more is Josh Allen’s fault. That and your OCs fault for not utilizing them more.”
Who throws the balls to TE? Who calls plays? I’ll wait
Making your point Mack didn’t have a career year he had 378 yards and his 3rd highest was 250? Lmao he didn’t have a career year no matter how you try to spin it.
Nice work avoiding my points once again.
He lead the team in TDS with 5. Which not only lead the team but was a career high.
You are working hard my man….but still wrong.
You said the rbs were the same and you list all credibility there.
Have a great day! Go Bills!
Lmao you’re talking about credibility while saying Mack Hollins had a career year. Go play in the sandbox kid.
Mack Hollins didn’t have a career year. His best season came in LV. Having 1 more TD (5) than your career best (4) and 300 yards less than your career best isn’t a career year.
Apparently yards from scrimmage is a very complex hard and mysterious concept for you. Whether they run it or catch it yards are yards from a production standpoint point from the running back position.
Henry posting 1900 yards rushing is similar production to Bijan Robinson posting 1500 yards rushing and 400 yards receiving.
So yes. Had cook played more (48% of snaps) compared to Henry (57% of snaps) cook would have comparable yards from scrimmage as Henry. Somehow your limited brain capacity takes that as they’re the same type of running back lmao.
Yes or no – did Mack have a career high in receiving tds?
Yes or no – was that his career high?
Yes or no – that too tough for you to understand?
I like how you’re changing your argument from career year to career high in touchdowns. Your defeat is accepted
You: Mack Hollins had a career year
Me: no he didn’t.
You: ok he had a career high in touchdowns!
Lmao
Go Bills!
I hope you take a few courses at your lical community college.
Wtf is a lical community college lmao. You having a seizure or something?
Without Josh, the bills are drafting much closer to the top of the draft than are the ravens without Lamar. It’s not Lamar’s fault his team is too good, but that’s the bottom line. Without Josh the bills are probably 4-13, 5-12. Without Lamar, the ravens definitely go 8-9, 9-8. Josh is more valuable.
Lamar should get the MVP but it feels like the media and Bills fans want it to be Josh. Josh has no accolades next to his name (no SB appearances, no rings and no mvp’s). Bills are the best team in the 3rd worse division, while BAL is the best team in the 2nd toughest (maybe the toughest) division in football.
As a Bills fan I’d probably vote for Lamar, but I do think it’s worth looking at the supporting cast around them, which would favor Allen.
At the end of the day I don’t really care though, and I’m sure they both have their eyes set on a ring rather than an MVP anyways.
Agreed.
If both the Ravens and Bills win their respective games this round then they will have to play each other in the next round. That’s the game I am waiting for.
To hell with the MVP lets enjoy some playoff football.
Derrick Henry?
The tush push stripped Barkley out of a lot of TD’s.
It’s Lamar and it’s not close.
4K yards, 41 TDs and 4 INTs
No other QB has had 40 or more TDs with 5 or less INTs and this is coming from the QB everyone said couldn’t throw the ball a couple seasons ago.
So not only was he amazing in the air but he’s easily the best QB carrying the ball aswell.
Everyone wants to knock him for the supporting cast but if you think about it he had to share touches with a RB that almost put up 2k yards. He only had 1 WR hit 1000 yards and two other pass catchers get over 500 yards.
Allen had to share less touches with the RB group, and let’s not act like the front office tried to add help at WR. They let Diggs go and brought in Samuels and MVS and after that didn’t look good traded for Amari Cooper.
Who cares that Allen hasn’t got a SB appearance or MVP yet, he’s been great but someone has always been better and teams have been stronger
You’re right in that past years shouldn’t matter, and I can agree with your argument about Lamar. That said, I do want to note (not that it should affect this year’s outcome) that his 2023 MVP was really a head scratcher.
It may sound odd, but check the stats if need be. Dak Prescott was the best QB in the league that year, by a mile in comparison to Jackson (almost 1000 more yards and 13 more TDs), and several other QBs also out produced him (like Tagovailoa, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Baker Mayfield, and even Derek Carr).
Lamar this year has been better than any QB not named Joe Burrow, and the only real non-QB competitor that I’d see is Derek Henry (I’d really like to see him or a non-QB win, if it ever could happen again). I would vote for Burrow. I don’t see any way that Jackson loses this MVP, but if he does, it wouldn’t be the first time that the best quarterback in the league that year didn’t win the award.
He has no chance to win it, due to the team’s record, but there’s no question that the single best player in the league this year has been Joe Burrow. Statistically, he’s finished with two more passing touchdowns and about 800 more yards than Jackson, and while he has a clear advantage in receivers, he has a very clear disadvantage in every other area. The Bengals’ defense, offensive line, and rushing attack have all had greater issues this year than the mostly stable Ravens, and they both play in the same tough division.
No disrespect to Jackson-he would be second in my mind-but Burrow just has exceeded everyone else’s production and carried his team as far as it’s managed to get. He definitely deserves it, but for some unfathomable reason, we must consider a team’s record instead of just evaluating the player himself. In my mind, the MVP is the player’s award; wins, and rings, are a team award. A player shouldn’t be eliminated from consideration just because his team is bad, especially if he’s clearly had the best year or is in contention of having had it.
Burrow is my favorite player to watch in the league no doubt, he’s a surgeon with the ball. However in regards to the MVP, I think burrows stats are padded because of a lot if negative game script. Allen has, in my opinion, been the singular reason they’ve been in even competitive, let alone a potential Super Bowl contender. Burrow is the best passer I’ve ever seen(I’m 25) but mvp, as I understand it to mean, the player who adds the most value to his team, I think this this year Allan has provided a level of value that if you replaced him with a replacement level quarterback with a similar play style I’m not sure that they are even a .500 team. In burrow’s case I think if you put a replacement level quarterback with the same play type I think you get at least a competent game on average. Just my opinion…
I don’t have any argument with that-I think that it’s the most compelling reason to advocate for Allen. I could accede to his being my second choice after Burrow.
With all due respect to Lamar, I do think that he earned it more this year than he did his second MVP-a year in which I thought that Allen was by far the better player. This year, Jackson has put forth a better individual statistical season than anyone but Burrow. That’s not everything, obviously, but it does count. I just think that Burrow played too well to dismiss him due to his team’s flaws.
It should be properly renamed the QB of the year award since no one else is really given any serious consideration. Why is the winner of the Miss Universe pageant always from Earth? You see what I’m saying?
Wait-I thought women were from Venus?
But is she really “from Earth” though? I mean, it could be like the Olympics where one can represent another country, or in this case planet. Or it could all be a colossal cover-up. Or…
I don’t know remember where I heard/read this but it’s hilariously true .. “Josh Allen is playing so good, that Lamar is gonna win his 3rd MVP”.. it’s Ok tho, there are plenty of examples of great players who would have been no doubters
If another player didn’t exist.. quick example
Peyton Manning would probably be the Goat if Tom Brady wasn’t winning 7 Superbowls at the same time
They’ve both had great seasons but it’s Josh Allen. Last year Lamar was the only MVP to ever have sun 30 total TDs and >4K passing yards (Allen had 13 more total TDs) but record mattered. Now this year it doesn’t? The Bills are the only team to beat both 1 seeds in the Chiefs & Lions who are a combined 30-1 against every other team in the nfl. Lamar stats are great this year yet Allen is the only player to EVER have 25 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs and sub 10 INTs not to mention he continues is record of 5 straight seasons with 40+ TDs.
I mean the supporting cast is obvious. Zay is better than shakir & more versatile. Andrews is better than Kincaid & Knox and Henry is clearly a top 3 back in the NFL.
Every year we watch Josh Allen and I hear the same thing from people “he has to do everything on the offensive side of the ball for that team” Then people would continue to say “they got to get him a run game to help him out” The 2024 season was the first season I watched Josh Allen and said “hey they got a run a game finally” Why is it the year they finally get the run game going that everyone insist he is the MVP and he is doing it with nothing?
Throw some respect on James Cook’s name.