The NFL does not view Lamar Jackson as a top-10 QB

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been defying the naysayers and proving doubters wrong his entire career. It seems as though nothing is ever good enough for the Jackson skeptics out there.

Not an MVP award. Not record-setting performances. Nothing.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently released a list of the top-10 quarterbacks in the NFL as voted on by over 50 NFL personnel including players, coaches, executives, etc.

Somewhat amazingly, Jackson was snubbed from the top 10 and only featured as an honorable mention. It’s hard to argue with that logic.

"“Despite standout moments in 2021 — including 442 passing yards on Monday Night Football against the Colts in October — Jackson finished the year with a career-low 50.7 QBR. He struggled mightily in his last three full games with six interceptions and 13 sacks as teams blitzed him heavily. And he missed the last month of the season with an ankle injury, fueling concern about how his running style will hold up long term.”"

Lamar Jackson is absolutely a top-10 quarterback in the NFL

Some of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of Jackson include Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, and Dak Prescott. While it’s fair to suggest that Jackson was likely not far off from those in the poll, he likely deserves to be in the top 10.

Voters obviously weighed his late-season struggles heavily as Jackson certainly wasn’t at his best late in the year prior to his injury. However, it certainly didn’t help that his supporting cast had deteriorated around him.

Those who voted also seemed to call into question his health and heavily implied that he was injury-prone. That’s, of course, despite the fact that last season was the first time that Jackson had ever missed a game due to injury.

And it’s not like he was even injured running — his injury occurred when his ankle was rolled up just after throwing a pass. It’s hard to use the whole “his running style is prone to injuries” argument.

Ultimately, if Jackson puts together a bounce-back season in 2022, he’ll likely find himself climbing up the rankings. This is very much a case of recency bias when it comes to the former MVP.

It’s up to Lamar Jackson to continue defying the odds and proving the doubters wrong, just as he’s done his whole career.