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Andrew Hawkins Explains How Lamar Jackson Can Soon Become a First-Ballot Hall of Famer

Jackson starred in the Ravens' Christmas night victory.

Kyle Koster

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smile after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smile after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Lamar Jackson was spectacular on the Baltimore Ravens' 31-2 road destruction of the Houston Texans on Christmas. Jackson threw for two scores and ran in another as the Ravens won their third consecutive game. Baltimore looks like a very dangerous team as the NFL playoffs approach.

Jackson's impressive performance in front of a huge audience on Netflix solidified him as the only player who could conceivably overtake Josh Allen in the MVP race. Spectacular performances over the final week could lead Jackson to a third MVP award and, if that were to happen, many believe the Ravens quarterback would already be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Like Andrew Hawkins, who shared the opinion on First Take on Thursday.

"If Lamar wins his third MVP in only four completed seasons he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer," said Hawkins. "You can already not tell the NFL story without Lamar Jackson but this would solidify on a whole different level."

Hawkins pointed to Jackson's maturation as a passer this season and what would be an ascension into rarefied air. Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers are the only NFL quarterbacks to win the prestigious award three times. Those other players have had more postseason success than Jackson, who has another chance to play deep into January and February to change the conversation around him. But in terms of regular season play, Jackson is already in rarefied air.

It will be interesting to see just what Jackson would have to do over the final two weeks to catch Josh Allen, who is currently the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to the award. The Ravens close with the Cleveland Browns in Week 18.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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