New QB ranking further validates Lamar Jackson's elite status

USA Today

a day ago

New ranking puts Lamar Jackson among the NFL's top three quarterbacks.
It's often said that this is a quarterback's league, and there's a reason for that. The impressive statistics these individuals achieve each year underscore their pivotal role in the game's evolution. Lamar Jackson, in particular, is celebrated as one of the most exciting players in football. The Baltimore Ravens star has already won two AP MVP trophies, showcasing his remarkable talent and impact on the field.
Last season, Jackson took his already elite play to another level, leading all NFL quarterbacks in passer rating (119.6) and QBR (77.3). He threw for 4,172 yards while tossing 41 touchdowns vs. only four interceptions. He picked up 915 additional yards and another four touchdowns with his legs.
Lamar entered the 2024 NFL season already having earned two First-Team All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowl mentions. He added one more of each for his trouble, so the question we ask every year is simple.
How does he rank vs. his peers playing the same position? We're glad you asked. One of the more well-known NFL platforms recently tried to answer that question.
Lamar Jackson lands third on FOX Sports' ranking of the top ten NFL quarterbacks
As we turn the page from June to July, FOX Sports ranked the top ten NFL quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson landed third, but a misprint may have stated what most are already thinking.
FOX mistakenly calls him "the defending NFL MVP", which he isn't, unless we're mentioning the trophy he won as the Pro Football Writers Association's Most Valuable Player, but FOX's statement says a lot. No disrespect to last year's winner, Josh Allen, but doesn't it seem like Jackson should have won the trophy?
The only person we may have understood being ranked on his level would have been Saquon Barkley, but if last season didn't teach us anything else, it taught us this. Let's call it what it is. The NFL's MVP trophy is typically awarded to a quarterback.
There aren't many in the game today who play the game at an equally elite level as 'Action' Jackson. Here's FOX's theory from their ranking.
"Jackson, the defending NFL MVP, might be the most versatile quarterback on this list. What he lacks in accuracy, he makes up for in touchdown efficiency and rushing ability. He's led the NFL in touchdown percentage twice, posting an impressive 8.6% mark last season as he threw for a career-high 41 touchdowns. He's also led all quarterbacks in rushing yards the past two seasons and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 2019 and 2020. His one knock is that the Ravens have yet to appear in a Super Bowl with him as the starter."
Jackson lands behind Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. The top ten is rounded out by Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert, Jayden Daniels, and Dak Prescott.
That's a nice list. Even though these types of discussions are always subjective, the only players at the QB position that we would tolerate being listed ahead of Lamar in terms of skill set are Allen and Mahomes, if we're being honest. That said, although it seems more feasible to place Allen behind Mahomes and Jackson, this list won't receive a ton of complaints on this platform, except to note that placing Dak Prescott in the top ten is worthy of discussion.