Next month, we’ll likely learn that Lamar Jackson has won the AP NFL most valuable player award for the third time in six years, and for the second straight season. You won’t have to wait any longer to know that, for 2024, Lamar is the PFT MVP.
There’s still on consensus on the meaning and context of the term. Valuable to his team? To the league? Valuable how?
But we know it when we see it. That’s what the voters hopefully did. Trust your eyes, trust your gut. Anyone and everyone can concoct an advanced statistical formula that supports Lamar or the runner-up, Josh Allen. Ultimately, it’s instinctive. And Jackson’s performance — which actually was better than last year’s MVP-winning showing — makes it obvious.
Jackson had his best season yet, with more than 4,100 passing yards and more than 900 rushing yards. That’s unprecedented. He’s also the first quarterback in league history with more than 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions. He threw for more than 1,000 yards more than he did the first time he was league MVP, in 2019.
Allen was a close second. He has had better seasons statistically, but he had some incredible single-game performances. He had a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown (without catching a pass) in a Sunday night snow globe win over the 49ers. He had three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a shootout against the Rams. He had two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a road win over the Lions. And he ended the Chiefs’ 15-game winning streak with a 26-yard touchdown run on fourth and 2 with the game still in the balance.
Some will argue that Jackson had more help around him than Allen did. But running back James Cook rushed for more than 1,000 yards and scored 18 total touchdowns. And every pass that Allen completed was caught by a teammate. Lamar was still spectacular; the fact that he stood out statistically despite running back Derrick Henry rushing for nearly 2,000 yards makes Lamar’s performance even more impressive.
Others who merit a mention include Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards and scored 15 total touchdowns despite losing plenty to the tush push. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had his best season yet, even if it wasn’t good enough to get to the playoffs. And Lions quarterback Jared Goff powered the Lions to the top seed in the NFC.
In the end, it all came back to Lamar. Two years after any team could have tried to sign him to an offer sheet as a non-exclusive franchise player, he has back-to-back PFT MVP awards. In a few weeks, he’ll likely have back-to-back AP MVP awards, too.
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