Everyone knows how good Lamar Jackson has been for the Baltimore Ravens since taking over as the starter midway through the 2018 season. He took his game to another level in 2019, winning his first NFL MVP. A few years later, in 2023, he added a second MVP to his resume.
In 2024, Jackson once again delivered a stellar season, going head-to-head with Josh Allen in the MVP race. Statistically, Jackson outperformed both Allen and his own 2023 campaign, but Allen ultimately edged him out for the award—a decision that sparked plenty of debate considering just how dominant Jackson was.
With the 2025 NFL Draft now come and gone, we can truly start to preview the 2025 NFL season. After all, the full schedule will be released soon. It’s time to start analyzing where teams are heading into training camp and where each quarterback ranks. For Jackson, in most lists, he’ll be among the top—or even at the very top for some.
There’s a quarterback big four out there in the league. We’ve gone from the days of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger to Allen, Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes.
Where you place the four is anyone’s guess. It could be in any order, and it will be tough to disagree. All four have been very good in the NFL and are well accomplished. Mahomes is the one with the championships and multiple MVPs of his own. Allen has set records just like Jackson and has now won an MVP. Burrow has led a vaunted Cincinnati Bengals passing attack and took the team to the Super Bowl—beating Mahomes to do it just a few years ago.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon took a crack at the list post-NFL Draft. Mahomes placed fourth, and Burrow came in third—leaving Jackson and Allen for the final two spots. In this case, Allen edged out Jackson. Gagnon writes:
“The four-time Pro Bowler can do it all with his arm and legs, and he is well on his way to the Hall of Fame. It’s hard to find a problem here, aside from the fact that he’s never come close to winning a championship. “
“There’s still plenty of time for that, though, and it’s important to remember this is a team sport. And in his defense, a player who struggled in big spots earlier in his career but posted a 122.5 passer rating in two 2024 playoff games, the Ravens again fell just short in a tight road loss to the Bills.”
Allen was placed at the top, with Gagnon citing that he has twice as many rushing touchdowns as Jackson. He also points to Allen being the most valuable player in the NFL since 2020, according to Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value statistic.
In the AFC, it feels like a battle between Allen and Jackson to see who can finally break through and win their first Super Bowl—especially with Cincinnati still struggling to build a defense around Burrow. Both are chasing that elusive first ring, while Mahomes has continued to rule the AFC since the Brady era. Allen has been better in the postseason to this point, but when it comes to the regular season, Jackson and Allen seem to be the top two quarterbacks heading into the fall.
