The Baltimore Ravens are one of the most interesting stories in football heading into the 2026 season. For the first time in 18 years, they’re walking into the year with a first-year head coach. Jesse Minter was hired as the man for the job, and there’s a lot of hype surrounding the 42-year-old.
There’s a lot of belief that Minter can get it done and bring the Ravens back to the playoffs. And when you have Lamar Jackson under center, success is bound to come. For Jackson, he’s itching to win his first Super Bowl, and if all goes right, he’s bound to get back to doing damage. I’m talking about potentially claiming a third MVP and getting his team back to the playoffs.
After the 2026 NFL schedule was released, fans can now see exactly what Jackson’s route to another MVP will look like.
Lamar Jackson’s road to a third MVP has come into complete focus
Jackson has a clear path to adding a third MVP award to his trophy case. The Ravens have a rather easy schedule, which should benefit them in numerous ways. According to writer Nick Shook, they have the third-easiest schedule. Shook wrote:
“New coach Jesse Minter will have to hit the road to start the season but will do so against a Colts team that will either be playing Daniel Jones in his first game back from an Achilles tear or a backup QB. New Orleans visits Baltimore in Week 2, then the Ravens head south to Rio de Janeiro to face the Cowboys…They then host the Titans, visit Atlanta and Cleveland, and then return home to meet Cincinnati, which represents another advantageous stretch of contests.”
Shook admitted that Baltimore’s schedule gets tougher later in the year, but many of those competitive matchups take place at home. That favors Jackson, as he’s 40-17 at home, and in home primetime games, which the Ravens have two of, he’s 10-1.
Looking at how this year’s schedule will play out, the chips are falling into place for Jackson to claim that third MVP. I mean, he should already have three MVPs, but he somehow lost the 2024 race to Josh Allen. Regardless, this time around could be different.
The main question will be injuries. They’ve popped up sporadically throughout his career and were impossible to ignore in 2025.
Last year, Jackson was on an MVP pace to begin the year. He threw for 969 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception, and added another 166 yards and one touchdown on the ground through the first four weeks. However, he went down with a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, which pushed his 2025 campaign off course. When he’s 100 percent, though, he’s pretty close to being impossible to stop. Teams will quickly learn that again in 2026.
In reality, it’s not about the MVP. Jackson has won enough of those, and although adding another to his collection would put him in elite conversations, that’s not what he’s after. He’d probably tell you he couldn’t care less. It’s all about hoisting a different trophy: the Lombardi Trophy. So yeah, the path to another MVP looks undeniable, but that’ll be in the very back of Jackson’s mind.
Add us as a preferred source on Google