Is Ravens QB Lamar Jackson the Shaquille O'Neal of the NFL?

Has Ravens MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson become the Shaquille O'Neal of the NFL?

On Thursday night, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson came up one vote short of another unanimous MVP, something that NBA fans may recall from years ago.

Back in the 1999-2000 NBA season, Shaquille O'Neal came up one vote short of being the first unanimous MVP in his league's history, and now that Lamar has suffered the same fate, it has us wondering how many other ways the two may be more similar than fans realized. 

Both Lamar and Shaq were robbed of unanimous MVP at 27 years old after already establishing themselves as two of the best players in their respective leagues but also one of the most criticized. 

Lamar has had to deal with hate during his young NFL career for not playing like a traditional quarterback in the sense that his rushing ability is considered so elite that it makes him utterly unstoppable when all things are clicking. 

As for Shaq, the NBA Hall of Famer is considered the most dominant player in the history of his sport and one of the most dominant athletes of all time for how he was able to take over games in the ain't and be more physical than his opposition. 

However, Shaq couldn't shoot, and his Achilles heel was that he could get fouled in order to prevent him from scoring; in the case of Lamar, when he doesn't run, many feel that he's average as a passer, turning Baltimore's Superman into Clark Kent.

The most significant difference between their two careers is that the same season Shaq won that MVP, he also won his first championship. As for Lamar, he came up short in the AFC Championship and is now under more scrutiny than perhaps any time in his career since getting drafted. 

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When Shaq won his first championship, he started a winning streak and would finish with three more trophies for the Los Angeles Lakers when all was said and done. If Lamar can find a similar groove in the NFL, then Ravens fans will be in for a dynastic run. 

For now, though, Lamar will have to continue to work in the offseason to prove that he can attempt to win a championship in his seventh season, something that took Shaq eight years to do. Perhaps Baltimore's MVP just needs to find his version of Kobe Bryant to help him do so.