When healthy, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a perennial MVP candidate. Of course, Ravens fans still recognize this. However, it feels like the rest of the NFL world has forgotten about this after one unhealthy (and really odd) season.
Most notably, the NFL's top 100 list slotted Jackson in at No. 69, which was a 67-spot drop-off from last season. I understand that this list is heavily based on last season, and Jackson had a down season for his remarkable standards. Regardless, Lamar deserves the benefit of the doubt, and he was still productive last season. A three-spot difference between him and Jordan Love, along with an eight-spot difference between him and Baker Mayfield, is indefensible, no matter how you slice it.
The top 100 list is far from the only way in which Jackson has been slighted, though. ESPN recently released a list ranking the league's top 10 quarterbacks, surveying coaches, executives, and scouts. Lamar ranked fifth, which at the surface level doesn't seem awful (though Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow shouldn't be ranked above him). Where this list gets disrespectful is when you see that one voter didn't have Jackson ranked at all.
With all due respect: How is that possible?
But wait, it gets worse. Last week, First Take ran a segment that debated whose starting job is more on the line: Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts? The answer, of course, is neither. Listen, First Take isn't a show that should be taken seriously, but this is yet another example of how underrated Lamar has become.
Lamar Jackson will soon remind the world of his greatness
Did Lamar have an ideal 2025 season? No, but neither was the context around him -- that can't be ignored. Plus, it's not like Jackson was awful last season.
In 13 games, he posted 2,549 yards and 21 touchdowns, with a 103.8 passer rating. Before getting injured in Week 4, Jackson led the league in numerous stats, including touchdowns, passer rating and yards per attempt. Make no mistake, the two-time MVP very much "still has it."
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson through Week 3 of 2025, where he said he feels like his injury issues started
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) July 13, 2026
How quickly they forget about what a healthy Lamar can do pic.twitter.com/rToF8gNCOQ
Jackson battled a hamstring injury and numerous lower-body injuries, which limited him on the ground, and in Week 16, he hurt his back. The Ravens had arguably the league's worst offensive guard duo, which undoubtedly contributed to Jackson's injury woes.
Though there are still questions about the center room, John Simpson and Vega Ioane should help transform the guard room and keep Lamar healthy. Declan Doyle's system that prioritizes the passing game should also help Jackson immensely.
It quickly became clear last season that the Ravens needed a new coaching staff, and this weird energy contributed to Baltimore's disappointing 8-9 season.
All signs point to a bounce-back year from Jackson and the Ravens. Lest we forget, in 2024 he was the MVP runner-up, narrowly missing out on back-to-back MVP honors and his third award in total.
There isn't another NFL player with his resume that gets disrespected this much; it's simply unreal.
While the constant doubting is annoying to Ravens fans and surely Jackson himself, it's nothing new. Heading into the NFL, plenty of people questioned Jackson's ability to translate to the next level as a passer. He silenced those concerns with ease. And when he showed that he was capable of NFL success, people said it wasn't sustainable. Again, Lamar proved them wrong.
With a much-improved situation, Jackson is primed to silence his doubters and remind everyone that he's, at minimum, a top-three quarterback in the league.
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