NFL execs continue to disrespect Lamar Jackson despite MVP season

For the first time in decades, the NFL is in the process of ushering in a new generation of quarterbacks.

Gone are the days when Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees reigned far above the rest of the playing field. In their place, a young, talented group of quarterbacks are still trying to establish themselves.

At the culmination of the 2015 NFL season, eight franchises were led by starting quarterbacks that had a combined 14 Super Bowl championships. Four of those eight quarterbacks had at least two championships.

In 2024, few active quarterbacks have cemented their place in Canton as Hall of Fame players. Only three starting quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl, and only one of them has won multiple championships.

The lack of quarterback experience is reflected in The Athletic’s annual quarterback rankings ($), which asked 50 NFL coaches and executives to rank the league’s 32 starting quarterbacks into five tiers.

Lamar Jackson still isn’t viewed as a top-tier quarterback 

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson moved up four spots in the rankings after being named the 2023 NFL Most Valuable Player, but he once again fell short of the first tier.

Jackson ranked as a second-tier quarterback despite receiving his highest ranking since he entered the league in 2019. After ranking in the fourth tier as a rookie, he has been named as a second-tier quarterback in each of the past five rankings.

The Athletic describes a second-tier quarterback as a player who can “carry his team sometimes” and handle pure-passing situations “in doses,” but doesn’t possess the same consistency as top-tier quarterbacks and “has a hole or two in his game.”

Jackson earned just 20 first-tier votes in the past three seasons combined. This year, he received 23 votes for the first tier, 26 votes for the second tier and one vote for the third tier. 

Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen were the only quarterbacks to rank in the top tier.

Jackson was brilliant in the 2023 regular season, but he succumbed to pressure in the postseason once again. In the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time MVP quarterback completed a season-low 41 percent of his passes against the blitz, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

Jackson’s performance reignited concerns about his postseason struggles.

His sensational rookie season ended with a thud as he completed just 14 out of 29 passes for 194 yards and one interception in a 23-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Round. Jackson was sacked seven times during that game. In his next playoff game, the Ravens fell short to the Tennessee Titans, 28-12. Jackson threw two interceptions as the Titans defense sacked him four times and hit him seven times throughout the game.

Jackson has a 2-4 record in his six postseason games. In the playoffs, he has completed 57.4 percent of his pass attempts for an average of 220 passing yards per game. He has nine touchdowns, six interceptions and three fumbles in the postseason. He has been sacked 26 times.

Jackson doesn't deserve all of the blame for Baltimore’s playoff losses, but he certainly deserves a good portion of it. Individual accolades won’t be enough for Jackson to climb into the first tier. To accomplish that, he’ll likely have to win a Lombardi Trophy.