Lamar Jackson Among MVP Contenders for the 2024/25 Season

What Are the Ravens QB’s Chances?

Since the dawn of the Super Bowl era, five players have won the MVP in back-to-back seasons. Joe Montana did it in 1989 and 1990 while Peyton Manning did it in 2003 and 2004 and then again in 2008 and 2009. Most recently, Aaron Rodgers won the MVP in 2020 and 2021. Of course, we can’t forget about Brett Favre who is the only player to win the MVP award in three consecutive years. He did it between 1995 and 1997.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his first MVP in 2019. He won his second MVP last year. While many would argue that his 3,678 passing yards and 24 touchdown tosses in 2023 weren’t really worthy of the MVP on their own, it seems that his 821 rushing yards along with 5 more rushing TDs put him over the top. So, can this dual-threat join the likes of Favre, Manning, Montana, and Rodgers in winning the NFL MVP in consecutive seasons?

MVP Oddsmakers Don’t Think So

It doesn’t matter if you refer to ClubSport football predictions for making soccer picks or one of the many sites that are dedicated to NFL football betting, the odds reveal quite a bit. Let’s take a look at the current MVP favorites and their odds.

• Patrick Mahomes  +500
• Josh Allen               +800
• Joe Burrow             +900
• CJ Stroud                +1000
• Lamar Jackson      +1400
• Jordan Love           +1400

What do these odds tell us? Well, aside from giving Mahomes his due respect, it would seem that oddsmakers are saying that Lamar is definitely a top contender, but a few things need to go his way if he is to repeat.

What Needs to Happen for Lamar Jackson to MVP in 2024?

Neither of Lamar Jackson’s MVP awards have been due to his passing prowess although it has definitely factored in. Last year marked just the second time he eclipsed 3,000 passing yards. If he is to match or surpass last year’s passing numbers, he’ll need his young receivers like Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman to take a step forward while getting solid production out of aging veteran Nelson Agholor.

Even if Lamar racks up another 3,000+ passing yards and throws 25 TDs, it likely won’t be nearly enough to win the MVP. He’s going to also have to do what he’s known for doing in terms of running the ball. This is where things might get a bit dicey. You see, the addition of Derrick Henry brings in a new dynamic. The 30-year-old running back comes into the fold having rushed for over a thousand yards in five of the past six seasons. He broke the 2,000-yard mark in 2020. You may also be surprised to learn that Derrick Henry was also credited with a pair of touchdown passes last year. The man can do it all, and Ravens fans should be excited to have him in the backfield.

All of this is to say that adding Derrick Henry may very well equate to subtracting from Lamar’s rushing stats. And as we know, those rushing yards have been the key to both of Lamar Jackson’s MVP awards. That said, it was only a few years ago, in 2019, that Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram both scampered for over 1,000 yards. That’s the year Lamar won his first MVP. Coincidentally, only six other teams in NFL history have boasted two 1,000-yard rushers.

Conclusion

He might not be the forerunner, but Lamar Jackson remains a serious threat to capture the MVP award in 2024. At +1400, the Ravens quarterback provides quite a bit of value and should not be overlooked. If he can use his legs like we know he can, he just might find himself in elite company as a back-to-back MVP winner.

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