Ravens Legend Calls Out Josh Allen's MVP Win

A Baltimore Ravens icon is not happy with Lamar Jackson's MVP snub.

Aug 8, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Jonathan Ogden during the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

To say Baltimore Ravens fans aren't happy with Lamar Jackson's MVP snub would be putting it lightly.

Jackson was widely seen as the favorite to win his third MVP award, especially after earning first-team All-Pro honors because the same group of voters decide both. As everyone knows by now, though, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was a second-team All-Pro this season, won MVP in a stunning upset.

It's the first time since 1987 that the sole MVP winner was not a first-team All-Pro, and as a result, Jackson comes up empty-handed after posting one of the best individual seasons in NFL history.

Most have already said their piece about the snub, and more will continue to do so over the coming days.

In an interview with TMZ, Ravens Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden made some scathing comments about Allen winning the MVP award over Jackson. Not for anything the Bills quarterback did himself, but rather the process that led to him winning the award.

"I get it," Ogden said. "'Cause [Josh] is a great quarterback, he hadn't won one -- Lamar had two. And they're like, 'Let's just give him one.'

"But that's the wrong reason. But it's all good. What are you going to do? But they made the wrong choice. But that's all good."

Both Jackson and Allen had incredible seasons, but looking at the raw numbers, it's hard to say the former didn't have the better campaign. Jackson had the edge in every major category except for rushing touchdowns and team record, and in many of those categories, he was arguably much better.

In Ogden's opinion, the stats should've given Jackson the edge, even with Allen having a strong season as well.

"I don't want it to sound like I'm hating on Josh because the brother is a tremendous quarterback," Ogden said. "But he didn't have the year Lamar had."

Voter fatigue is definitely a real phenomenon that has an impact on award voting. For a recent example, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid won the 2023 NBA MVP award over Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who won the previous two MVPs as well as a third in 2024, despite the latter having arguably the better season statistically. It would not be surprising if some voters took a similar approach in this case, as Jackson already had two MVPs in 2019 and 2023 while Allen had none.

What's done is done, though, and if Jackson continues to play the way he did this year, then he should have no trouble getting back to this point.

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