Lamar Jackson Predicted as NFL MVP in Poll of NFL Execs, Full List of Award Winners

One week into the 2025 NFL regular season, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the popular pick among league executives and scouts to win his third career NFL MVP Award.

In a poll conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Jackson was the top choice to win MVP this season with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels also receiving votes.

Other picks included Daniels as Offensive Player of the Year, Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Myles Garrett as Defensive Player of the Year, Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton as Offensive Rookie of the Year, New York Giants pass-rusher Abdul Carter as Defensive Rookie of the Year, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy as Comeback Player of the Year, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall as Breakout Player of the Year and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh as Coach of the Year.

Jackson, 28, won MVP honors in 2019 and 2023, and he nearly did it again last season.

Despite throwing for a career-high 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions, while also rushing for 915 yards and four scores, Jackson finished second to Allen in the MVP voting.

Jackson was a First Team All-Pro, which suggests the voters viewed him as the best quarterback in the league, but MVP has a different meaning, which resulted in Allen winning the first MVP Award of his career.

While Jackson was supported by superstars on both sides of the ball, including running back Derrick Henry, Allen had a much weaker supporting cast.

Even so, he threw for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and a career-low six picks, rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns, and led Buffalo to a 13-4 record.

Although Allen over Jackson was a controversial choice to many, it was vindicated to some degree when Buffalo beat Baltimore 27-25 in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Jackson and Allen went head-to-head again in the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2025 season, and for much of the contest, all signs pointed toward the Ravens cruising toward a multi-score victory.

However, the Bills mounted one of the most spectacular comebacks in recent memory, overcoming a 40-25 deficit in the fourth quarter to win 41-40.

Ravens-Bills SNF THRILLER 🍿

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Allen keyed the comeback, throwing for 251 yards in the fourth quarter alone, and finishing the game 33-of-46 for 394 yards with two touchdowns and no picks, plus another 30 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Jackson was excellent in his own right, going 14-of-19 for 209 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushing for 70 yards and one additional score.

As great as Jackson was, he benefited from Henry rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns, and he wasn't able to put the game away with the ball in his hands on the Ravens' final drive.

Much like last year, Week 1 suggests that the MVP race this season could be a battle between Jackson and Allen from start to finish.